Environmental Impact Assessment Review最新文献

{"title":"Unveiling the heterogeneity of environmental impacts of China's coal washing plants by a configuration-specific life cycle assessment","authors":"Jie Zhang ,&nbsp;Junjie Li ,&nbsp;Yirong Wang ,&nbsp;Yulong Yan ,&nbsp;Lin Peng ,&nbsp;Kechang Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107725","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coal washing is considered a promising method of mitigating coal-induced air pollution in China because of the limited end-of-pipe treatment potential for coal pollution. However, the estimated benefits of coal washing have been overly optimistic due to the lack of comprehensive research on the environmental burden of coal washing and its related indirect impacts. Moreover, the specific coal quantity and quality requirements for various downstream sectors cannot be effectively addressed because the environmental effects of the differentiated scales and technologies used in coal washing plants have not been determined. The objective of this study is to quantify both the direct and indirect environmental impacts of Chinese coal washing plants and innovatively reveal the internal disparities and their formation mechanisms. A total of 2367 coal washing plants were investigated, and 20 configurations that combined both the washing scale and technology were categorized. Plant-level input and output data were modeled by the ReCiPe 2016 methodology to perform a configuration-specific life cycle assessment. The results showed that enlarging the plant scale increased the environmental benefits by 11.0–38.4 % in most cases. Washing coal via flotation and heavy medium methods generally resulted in higher environmental impacts of 2.0–16.0 % and 0.6–7.3 % compared to that of jigging due to the use of chemical reagents and medium powders, respectively. Different configuration structures across provinces induced spatially heterogeneous environmental impacts, which were high in southern and eastern China and low in northern and western China. The results highlighted the considerable environmental impacts of coal washing hidden in the coal production and consumption chain. Moreover, the findings reveal a spatially explicit configuration strategy for downstream-specific demands and show that enhancing solid waste utilization can reduce toxic environmental impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107725"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When differentiated carbon tax policy meets LBD of renewable energy and electrification of energy end-use: Policy implications of sectoral differentiation of carbon productivity and carbon emission","authors":"Bo Shi ,&nbsp;Sijia Lin ,&nbsp;Minjun Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impact of environmental policy stringency on energy efficiency innovation has been studied well without considering renewable energy storage and electrification to meet demand for energy structural transition in China. Based on these past studies, this paper introduces the CGE model to analyze carbon tax stringency via carbon productivity by accounting for the electrification and learning-by-doing effect of renewable energy. Through comparing the performance of the uniform and differentiated carbon tax, it is found that the differentiated carbon tax always has a worse environmental performance in reducing carbon emissions due to less energy efficiency improvement than uniform one. While uniform carbon tax at stricter level gains more economic and environmental benefits on sectoral and overall aspects in long term because of greater improvement on sectoral carbon productivity in energy-intensive industries. Furthermore, these findings at a large level reveal the intricate interaction among carbon tax, sectoral carbon productivity, renewables-related subsidy, electrification, and the learning-by-doing of renewables for accelerating the energy structural transition and simultaneously achieving the coordination between economic growth and environmental protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107724"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reducing fertilizer and pesticide application through mandatory agri-environmental regulation: Insights from “Two Zero” policy in China","authors":"Zhiqiang Cheng,&nbsp;Mengze Zhu,&nbsp;Jinyang Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107716","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the intensive application of fertilizers and pesticides (FAP) seriously affects human health and the ecological environment, how to reduce them becomes the key to sustainable agricultural development. Using Chinese crop-level data from 1991 to 2022, this study examines how mandatory agri-environmental regulation reduces FAP application by using “Two Zero” policy (TZP) as an example. The key findings are as follows: First, the implementation of TZP reduced FAP application by 37.2 % and 23.6 %. Second, there are differences in the mechanisms by which TZP achieves FAP reductions. Improvement in technical efficiency is the main means of pesticide reduction. While fertilizer reduction depends on both technical efficiency improvements and the reduction of the proportion of cash crops. Third, there was significant crop, regional, and crop distribution heterogeneity in the effects of TZP. The FAP reduction effect of TZP is more pronounced in cash crops than in grain crops. Pesticide reduction is more significant in the Yangtze River region and South China, but less so in Southwest China. The fertilizer reduction effect is more evident in the Huang-Huai-Hai region, South China, and Southwest China, but is diminished in Northeast China. Additionally, the pesticide reduction effect is particularly pronounced in major grain-producing regions. Finally, TZP has also reduced the intensity of FAP application. The findings offer important insights for China to further reduce FAP application. They also offer guidance for developing similar agri-environmental regulations in other countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107716"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate policy and carbon leakage: Evidence from the low-carbon city pilot program in China","authors":"Yaru Cao ,&nbsp;Yanrui Wu ,&nbsp;Zhenran Li ,&nbsp;Qunwei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107730","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107730","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy, aimed at promoting the transformation of cities towards low-carbon practices, is an important action for China to mitigate climate change. Though this climate policy brings positive effects in many aspects, the issue of potential carbon leakage due to regional disparity has been overlooked. This paper introduces a novel approach by employing the spatial DID model and prefecture-level city data to assess the LCCP policy and its implications for carbon leakage. The innovative aspect lies in its spatially differentiated analysis, which reveals that while the LCCP policy effectively reduces carbon emissions of local pilot cities, it simultaneously triggers carbon leakage to neighboring non-pilot cities, with the leakage effects diminishing with increasing distance. Additionally, this study uncovers that carbon leakage risks are mitigated when multiple pilot cities are geographically clustered, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the policy. Finally, the impact channel analysis uniquely identifies that carbon leakage results from the inter-city relocation of high-carbon industries, such as manufacturing, which exhibits spatial attenuation and temporal lag effects. This study advances the understanding of low-carbon city pilot programs and provides valuable insights for mitigating carbon leakage risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107730"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable ripples: Unveiling contractor knowledge-state transitions and group consensus based on environmental sanction violations","authors":"Yao Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhixiu Wang ,&nbsp;Mingyang Gu ,&nbsp;Kunhui Ye ,&nbsp;Bingzhen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainable development in the construction industry requires the reduction of ecological disturbances and energy consumption, control of pollution, and adherence to environmental regulations to avoid environmental sanctions. Green knowledge affiliated with environmental compliance spreads from the relationship network to the whole group of contractors, and knowledge gaps are filled via mutual learning and dissemination to promote the implementation of environmentally friendly behavior. This study examined the transfer-diffusion dynamics and evolution of knowledge on environmental violations derived from environmental sanctions in different contractor states. The contributions of different elements to the diffusion process were compared to identify the key factors that reduce the time until contractors reach a green consensus and achieve sustainable construction. Using an improved susceptible–exposed–infectious–recovered model, contractors were characterized as non-informed, informed, spreaders, and forgetters to construct state-transfer paths. In addition, a cellular automaton model was used to demonstrate the diffusion of green knowledge in contractor groups and analyze how state-transfer paths, spreader layouts, and knowledge-reachability neighborhoods affect the diffusion efficiency. Simulations indicated that once knowledge diffusion stabilized, the spreader state was the only remaining state; moreover, differences in the scenario parameters affected the transition rates between each state but not the final proportions of the states. Discrete distribution and spreader influence were positively and significantly correlated to knowledge-diffusion efficiency, whereas the state-transition path had little influence. These findings provide guidance for facilitating the diffusion of green knowledge in the contractor community to reduce environmental damage while avoiding environmental risks to meet the green transformation needs of the construction industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107722"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moving in the landscape: Omnidirectional connectivity dynamics in China from 1985 to 2020","authors":"Haowei Mu ,&nbsp;Shanchuan Guo ,&nbsp;Xingang Zhang ,&nbsp;Bo Yuan ,&nbsp;Zilong Xia ,&nbsp;Pengfei Tang ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Xuecao Li ,&nbsp;Peijun Du","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to intact ecosystems and the natural movements of species. However, research on functional connectivity that reflects the movement probability of widespread species across large spatiotemporal scale remains limited. To address this, we constructed omnidirectional connectivity in China from 1985 to 2020, using morphological spatial pattern analysis methods and circuit theory. In addition, we investigated the primary drivers of connectivity changes and explored conflicts with land cover changes. Our results demonstrated that overall omnidirectional connectivity is affected by the degree of fragmentation within landscape core areas. During this period, overall connectivity and landscape core area in China decreased by 1.2 % and 2.5 %, respectively, while the connectivity within core areas increased by 0.3 %. Forest reduction and cropland expansion were identified as the primary drivers of decreased connectivity in China. Forests, as crucial components of intact core areas, play a vital role in maintaining connectivity. Conversely, cropland expansion has exacerbated habitat fragmentation, leading to a decline in connectivity, particularly in the Southwest Basin. Additionally, connectivity in the Hai River Basin decreased due to an increase in impervious surface, whereas in the Continental Basin, it declined due to an expansion of barren land. Omnidirectional connectivity is crucial for maintaining intact ecosystems and provides a scientific foundation for spatial planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107721"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reducing carbon emissions by encouraging enterprises to cooperate in energy conservation: Allocating carbon emission quotas based on the double vortex model","authors":"Yuqi Dai ,&nbsp;Kai Wang ,&nbsp;Linyu Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The allocation of carbon emission quotas plays a pivotal role in shaping the energy-saving behaviors of enterprises. However, existing methods on carbon emission quotas allocation often lack mechanisms to promote collaboration among enterprises or to link emission reductions with cooperative energy conservation efforts. This study proposed a novel double vortex model for allocating carbon emission quotas, aimed at fostering cooperation between enterprises and enhancing their energy-saving performance. The double vortex model groups enterprises with similar characteristics into collaborative vortexes, using economic incentives to drive collective carbon reduction. Unlike conventional models, this approach emphasizes cooperative corporate behavior, allowing for a dynamic evaluation of energy conservation and emission reduction efforts. The textile sector in Guangdong Province, China is selected as a case study to assess changes in carbon quotas before and after implementing the model. Results show that enterprises with lower emission intensity receive higher quota allocations, while those with higher emissions experience reductions, promoting energy-saving cooperation. This model addresses two key research gaps: optimizing carbon quota allocation through cooperative mechanisms and introducing government-backed economic incentives in carbon markets. By integrating cooperative game theory, the model adjusts quotas based on the performance of other enterprises, encouraging sustained, city-wide energy-saving improvements. The findings aid in the development of targeted strategies for improving energy conservation in enterprises and provide new insights for optimizing carbon quota allocation and the operation of national carbon markets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107719"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A critical appraisal of 40 years of avian collision risk modelling: How have we got here and where do we go next?","authors":"Aonghais S.C.P. Cook ,&nbsp;Eldina Salkanovic ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Masden ,&nbsp;Hsiu Eik Lee ,&nbsp;Alexander Holm Kiilerich","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107717","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Collision risk models (CRMs) form a key part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for wind farms. It is 40 years since the first CRM was published. We take a critical approach to reviewing the CRMs available in the peer-reviewed and grey literature, with a view to better understanding the current challenges, and how these may be overcome. In total, we identified 52 models, which include 75 input parameters amongst them. There has been a tendency for models to become more complex over time, incorporating more input parameters with a view to improving biological realism. However, many of these models have not been applied within the EIA process. Consequently, despite advances in modelling and the types of data available to inform models, few of these advances have been implemented in regulatory processes. As few models have been validated, it would be beneficial to make use of data from any existing or planned post construction monitoring campaigns to do so, where possible. Additionally, we recommend for sensitivity and benchmarking analysis to compare results from established models for any new CRM proposed. As the industry continues to expand, it is important that stakeholders have confidence in any approach used to assess collision risk. This will likely require close collaboration and careful discussion between all stakeholders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107717"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic framework for rural resilience assessment in the rural Gansu Province, China","authors":"Tianmin Tao ,&nbsp;Libang Ma ,&nbsp;Ye Liu ,&nbsp;Honglin Tang ,&nbsp;Xiang Wang ,&nbsp;Shanshan Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107715","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107715","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Against the backdrop of cumulative environmental, economic, and social challenges facing rural areas, there is increasing concern about sustainable rural development. As a transformative approach, conducting scientific assessments of rural resilience and implementing targeted interventions are crucial for achieving sustainable development goals in rural areas of developing countries. This study, using Gansu Province, China, as a case study, establishes a rural resilience assessment framework based on the 5W2H framework. It integrates qualitative understanding with quantitative evaluation to explore the levels of rural resilience in underdeveloped regions and the pathway mechanisms by which obstacles hinder the enhancement of rural resilience. The findings indicate that areas with higher levels of rural resilience tend to have lower obstacle levels, and governmental regulation significantly contributes to spatial equity in rural resilience. Subsequently, the pathway mechanisms obstructing the formation of rural resilience were deduced through mediating effect analysis. In conjunction with the characterization of obstacle degrees, key steps to improve rural resilience are proposed for each dimension within the 5W2H quantitative framework. Through this study, we found that the 5W2H framework addresses the “what, where, why, who, when” questions in rural resilience research, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses to reveal the complexity of rural sustainable development in a more profound manner, which holds promising application prospects. Given the increasingly prominent issues in rural development, it is imperative to re-conceptualize rural areas from the perspective of the 5W2H framework to effectively enhance rural resilience levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107715"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysing the value, benefits and barriers to stakeholder and community participation in health impact assessments (HIAs) in Wales from 2005 to 2020","authors":"Liz Green ,&nbsp;Amber Murphy ,&nbsp;Kathryn Ashton ,&nbsp;Christopher Standen ,&nbsp;Fiona Haigh","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Health Impact Assessments (HIA) are undertaken to inform decision-making processes by assessing the potential health and health equity impacts of a programme, policy, or project and developing appropriate responses to mitigate harms and maximize benefits. Stakeholder and community participation is central to the impact assessment process. This research explores the experiences of stakeholders and community members who participated in HIA workshops in Wales between 2005 and 2020. Data were gathered through a questionnaire at the end of each HIA workshop session with stakeholder and community participants from diverse backgrounds reporting on the experience of their participation. The analysis reveals a range of perceived benefits of participation in the HIA process. The identified benefits included the opportunity to be heard, networking, and a view of participation as a community service. These findings reinforce the importance of stakeholder and community participation in HIA, through the perspective of participants themselves. This study contributes to the understanding of community and stakeholder participation in impact assessment processes and offers recommendations for improving the practice and impact of HIA in policy development. These findings have the potential to be transferable to other types of impact assessments, and other forms of community and stakeholder participation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 107713"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}