Xuan Yu

Drawing on the ecological economic system theory, this paper constructs a theoretical model to analyze the impact of enterprise digital transformation on carbon emissions and the critical mechanism of green innovation therein. Empirical evidence based on data from China’s A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2024 indicates the following: First, enterprise digital transformation significantly reduces corporate carbon emissions. This conclusion remains robust after a series of robustness checks and endogeneity treatments. Second, digital transformation promotes carbon reduction primarily by increasing the quantity of green innovation, whereas the mediating role of green innovation quality has not yet manifested. Third, heterogeneity analysis confirms our theoretical deductions, revealing that this carbon reduction effect is significantly stronger in regions with high environmental regulation intensity and is predominantly manifested in highly polluting industries. Fourth, descriptive spatial analysis indicates that digital transformation is associated with reduced carbon emissions in surrounding areas, exhibiting broader regional environmental correlations as the geographic range expands. Finally, the implementation of policy instruments, represented by carbon trading and low-carbon city construction, reinforces the carbon reduction effect of digital transformation. By integrating internal technological processes, contextual heterogeneities, descriptive spatial observations, and macro-policy environments, this paper provides holistic insights into the synergistic evolution of enterprise digitalization and green transition.

This study develops species-specific assessment models for carbon sink in marine aquaculture (CSMA) using provincial data from China’s coastal regions (2004–2023). Key findings are as follows: (1) Cumulative CSMA reached 46.3618 million tonnes, exhibiting three growth phases—initial fluctuations (2004–2008), rapid growth (2008–2015), and optimization and maturation (2015–2023). (2) Species contributions were heterogeneous: shellfish dominated at 45%, followed by shrimp (24%), fish (15%), crab (11%), and algae (5%). (3) Spatially, Guangdong, Fujian, and Shandong consistently lead in CSMA; Guangxi, Liaoning, and Zhejiang form a second tier, whereas Hebei, Hainan, and Jiangsu remain at the lower end. (4) Province-specific dominance patterns were observed: shellfish-dominant pattern in Shandong, Fujian, and Liaoning; shrimp-dominant pattern in Hebei and Hainan; shellfish-and-shrimp dual-cores in Guangdong and Guangxi; and a multifaceted profile in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. To facilitate the realization of CSMA’s value, we propose a dedicated trading mechanism. Based on the derivations from the effect analysis model and the illustrative case studies, we explore the potential economic and ecological benefits of CSMA trading.

Developing countries, including China, have long focused on punishing individuals through environmental laws. This focus stems from the fact that individual penalties are increasing and pollution emissions are decreasing. However, the over-emphasis on individual punishment in environmental laws is actually a false superstition. This paper takes the 2015 revision of China’s Environmental Protection Law as the node, analyses the impact of the law revision on the intensity of individual punishment and the degree of pollution emission, and then analyses the correlation between individual punishment and pollution emission reduction. The conclusion is that there is no correlation between individual punishment and pollution emission reduction. As a result, this paper dispels the myth of individual punishment in environmental laws. With the rapid development of economy and society, China’s environmental law should stimulate enterprises, citizens and public welfare organisations to participate, so as to change the purely punitive governance into collaborative governance.

Implementing the action of green and healthy aquaculture is an important measure to ensure the stable and secure supply of crucial agricultural products and promote the green and high-quality development of the fishing industry in China. This article divides the willingness to participate in the green and healthy aquaculture actions (GHAAs) into three stages: whether to participate, mode of participation, and degree of participation based on the dynamic decision-making process of the farmers. Based on micro survey data of aquaculture households in Zhejiang Province, this paper applies the Triple-Hurdle model to analyze the effect of ecological cognition and environmental regulation on multi-stage participation willingness, with a particular emphasis on exploring the differences in participation willingness between two types of green aquaculture methods, traditional and emerging technologies. The results show that ecological cognition has a positive promoting effect on the willingness to participate in actions and the degree of willingness to participate in both types of technological methods, the constrained environmental regulation policies significantly positively affects the degree of willingness to participate in traditional technological methods, and the incentive environmental regulation policies significantly positively affects the willingness to choose emerging technological methods and its degree of willingness to participate. The analysis of the regulatory effect of environmental regulation shows that constrained regulation policies can enhance the willingness of high ecological cognition farmers to participate in actions, while incentive policies are helpful for high ecological cognition farmers’ adoption willingness of emerging green production technology. In addition, there are scale and intergenerational differences in the effects of ecological cognition and environmental regulation on farmers’ willingness to participate in actions.

This study aims to identify the overall level of China’s sea use efficiency (SUE) from 2006 to 2018 as well as regional differences and dynamic changes The super-efficiency weighted slacks-based measure (Super-WSBM) model and the global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) index are employed. Results indicate that the SUE is at a medium-efficiency level. The inspection period revealed a decline period (2006–2008), a steady increase period (2008–2013), and a rapid increase period (2013–2018), exhibiting a “checkmark” type of growth. SUE has significant regional differences, and the degree of polarization has increased. Shanghai, Guangdong, and Shandong are high-efficiency regions, but unlike Shandong, which has experienced a rapid growth, the SUE of Shanghai and Guangdong has declined to varying degree, in Shanghai being particularly significant; Jiangsu and Tianjin are medium-efficiency regions, and SUE has experienced a rapid growth; Fujian, Hebei, and Zhejiang are inferior-efficiency regions, and SUE has slightly increased; Liaoning, Hainan, and Guangxi are low-efficiency regions. Except for a slight decline in Hainan, Liaoning and Guangxi experienced small increases. Thus, a sea use policy must be formulated on the basis of local conditions to promote the coordinated development of the marine economy. Moreover, the negative external impact of sea use on the marine environment must be observed, and marine resources within the range of the sea must be utilized.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents and investigate whether such disclosure can improve the health of middle-aged and old residents.Methods: This study matches the data of the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI) and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2018 and uses the ordered logistic regression model to assess the impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents. Furthermore, stepwise regression, ordinary least square, and ordered probit regression models are used for robustness tests. The IV-Ordered probit regression model solves the endogenous problem.Results: Environmental information disclosure has a significant positive correlation with the health level of middle-aged and old residents. After the robustness test and endogenous problem handling, this conclusion still holds. Estimation results show that when PITI increases by 1 unit, the probability of improving the self-reported health level and actual health level of middle-aged and old residents increases by 1 and 0.87%, respectively. The impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents also has significant regional heterogeneity. Specifically, the impact is mainly reflected in the central region of China.Conclusion: Environmental information disclosure can improve the health of middle-aged and old residents. To improve the health of middle-aged and old residents, it is necessary to implement and enhance the environmental information disclosure system continuously. The anti-driving effect of environmental information disclosure on the treatment of environmental pollution must be intensified further, particularly focusing on the central region of China, where is more polluted and more concentrated than other regions.

Studying the impact of land urbanization on smog pollution has important guiding significance for the sustainable development of cities. This study adds the spatial effect between regions into the research framework of smog pollution control in China. On the basis of a panel dataset of 31 province-level administrative regions in China from 2000 to 2017, we investigate the impact of land urbanization on smog pollution. We construct a spatial weight matrix and use Moran’s I statistic and the spatial autoregressive panel data model. The research results show that land urbanization and smog pollution have an inverted U-shaped relationship. With the advancement of land urbanization, the area’s smog pollution first increases and then decreases. However, in general, China has not passed the inflection point and is still at a stage where increasing land urbanization rate aggravates smog pollution. Moreover, the country’s smog pollution has a significant spatial positive correlation that shows agglomeration. In that context, multiple environmental governance entities, including the government, enterprises, and the public, need to collaborate on measures to reduce smog pollution. Future urban construction in China will need to integrate solutions that address the current nexus between urbanization and smog pollution to achieve green and sustainable development.