Shufei Fu , Tiangui Lv , Guangdong Wu , Hongyi Li , Limeng Zhu , Xinmin Zhang
{"title":"Discerning changes in carbon emission intensity of cultivated land utilization since agricultural green transformation: Based on the motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) framework","authors":"Shufei Fu , Tiangui Lv , Guangdong Wu , Hongyi Li , Limeng Zhu , Xinmin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107946","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107946","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dynamic changes in the carbon emission intensity of cultivated land utilization (CEICLU) have important impacts on food security and “dual carbon” goals. We used benchmark regression models, Moran's index, and spatial Durbin's model to explore the impact and spatial effects of agricultural green transformation (AGT) on China's major grain-producing areas (MGPA), major grain-selling areas (MGSA), and production and sales balance areas (PASBA) on CEICLU from 2006 to 2022. The motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) analysis framework provides a comprehensive approach to explain the mechanism and construct indicators from the perspective of cultivated land production entities (CLPEs). Our results showed that (1) from 2006 to 2022, China's AGTL increased from 0.168 to 0.336. The spatial differences in AGTL are significant, with those in the MGSA being the greatest, followed by those in the MGPA and PASBA. (2) The increase in carbon emissions from cultivated land use in China slowed, while that in the CEICLU decreased from 2.345 t/10<sup>4</sup> yuan to 0.717 t/10<sup>4</sup> yuan. The MGPA, MGSA and PASBA showed a downward trend in the CEICLU district. (3) The increase in AGTL in China significantly inhibited CEICLU. The inhibitory effect shows a decreasing pattern of MGSA, MGPA, and PASBA between regions. (4) There was a significant spatial spillover effect of Chinese AGTL on the inhibitory effect of CEICLU. This spillover effect is crucial in the MGPA and PASBA but not in the MGSA. Based on the results, a policy reference is provided for the differentiated regulation of the low-carbon utilization behavior of the CLPE in different food production areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107946"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817556","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}
Yang Guan , Bin Li , Yang Xiao , Ye Qiang , Nannan Zhang , Rongguang Shi
{"title":"Identifying the interactions between the Beautiful China Goals: An analytical localization of the Sustainable Development Goals","authors":"Yang Guan , Bin Li , Yang Xiao , Ye Qiang , Nannan Zhang , Rongguang Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107945","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107945","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>China has proposed the Beautiful China Goals (BCGs), outlining a long-term, comprehensive environmental strategy and a localized pathway for achieving environmentally sustainable development. The present study establishes a research framework integrating an evaluation indicator system, interaction identification methods, and a city-level case study for the BCGs, providing the evaluation of BCG progress, the identification of interactions between BCGs, and an in-depth examination of the dynamics between BCG progress and interaction. The results indicate a positive yet significantly north-south differentiated progress in developing a Beautiful China. BCG interaction identification based on document interpretation, correlation analysis, and city-level information mining reveals the differentiation among BCGs at global and local levels. The decoupling-recoupling process observed between the BCGs throughout the overall development of Beautiful China deepens our understanding of China's path toward environmentally sustainable development, which may inform policymaking for comprehensively and synergistically developing a Beautiful China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107945"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817555","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}
Qiang Wang , Shitong Ye , Xinhao Du , Kun Luo , Jianren Fan
{"title":"Day-night redistribution of air pollutants induced by onshore wind farm clusters in winter","authors":"Qiang Wang , Shitong Ye , Xinhao Du , Kun Luo , Jianren Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107940","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107940","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wind power has emerged as a prominent source of renewable energy, eliciting mounting apprehensions regarding its potential atmospheric ramifications. In this study, we employed the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting and Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system, coupled with wind farm parameterization, to explore the effects of wind farm clusters on the diurnal variation of meteorological elements and air pollutants distributions at Zhangbei County in China. The results show that the extraction of wind power from the airflow has a greater impact on the atmosphere at night than during the day. At night, the atmosphere is relatively stable, wind farm clusters cause significant speed deficit, warming, and evaporation, making the atmospheric particulates sink into the lifted atmospheric flow mass and leading to an increase in the PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration of 1.31 μg/m<sup>3</sup>. During the daytime, the clusters increase the planetary boundary layer, facilitating the vertical diffusion of pollutants, and a decrease in PM<sub>2.5</sub> of approximately 0.55 μg/m<sup>3</sup> is still observed, though the diffusion weakened by the unstable atmosphere. Importantly, wind farm clusters redistribute air pollutants. The pollutant concentration in the wind farm's dense area decreases during the day and increases at night, while its spatial variation is negligible. It provides a feasible method to evaluate the environmental effects and a practical dataset for the diurnal redistribution of air pollutants caused by wind farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107940"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808317","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}
Gaoyuan Wang , Liuying Wang , Mengyuan Jia , Tian Chen , Chye Kiang Heng
{"title":"Dynamic evolution and interaction mechanisms of socio-ecological systems and water constraints within an adaptive cycle framework: A case study of the Lower Yangtze River Basin","authors":"Gaoyuan Wang , Liuying Wang , Mengyuan Jia , Tian Chen , Chye Kiang Heng","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107937","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107937","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The dynamic mechanisms by which water constraints (WC) regulate socio-ecological system (SES) adaptation remain underexplored, hindering effective water governance strategies. This study fills that gap by examining how WC modulates SES adaptability throughout the adaptive cycle—revealing its regulatory role, feedback pathways, and changing influence on SES resilience over time. By integrating adaptive cycle theory, catastrophe progression models, the DPSIR framework, and cloud-based assessment techniques, we develop a dynamic analytical framework that captures the nonlinear, multi-scale interactions between WC and SES evolution in river basins. Our results show that WC exerts negative pressures during conservation (K) and release (Ω) phases while triggering adaptive shifts during reorganization (α) and exploitation (γ) phases. In 70 % of cities, HSS and EES exhibit a synergistic adaptation pattern, although the strength and direction of their coupling vary with the cycle stage. Moreover, WC has asymmetrical effects by stimulating HSS growth while constraining EES, creating a competition-cooperation dynamic between socio-economic and ecological functions. We also identify a unidirectional causality from WC to SES, in contrast to the bidirectional relationships between WC and both HSS and EES, indicating reciprocal adaptation processes. Impulse response analysis further reveals that while SES resilience to WC improves over time, excessive WC stress can lead to long-term ecological trade-offs and instability. Overall, our findings challenge the traditional view of WC as a static constraint and instead position it as a dynamic driver of socio-ecological restructuring, offering a predictive framework for assessing SES resilience and providing actionable insights for adaptive water governance and sustainable urban planning in resource-scarce regions globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107937"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792520","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}
Xingxing Liu , Yongjie Meng , Qing Yang , Jinmei Wang , Ling He
{"title":"Evaluation of freight restructure to reduce carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta: A crisis-resolution model","authors":"Xingxing Liu , Yongjie Meng , Qing Yang , Jinmei Wang , Ling He","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107939","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107939","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region is a microcosm of China's high-quality socio-economic development, highlighting the influential role of transportation and the issue of carbon emission reduction. Given the complex relationship between thriving freight transportation and the carbon emission crisis, this study assesses the impact of freight structure adjustments on carbon emission reduction in the YRD using a crisis resolution model that combines bi-objective optimization (BOP) and logistic chaotic mapping (LCM). The dynamic Crisis Resolution Degree (CRD) metric evaluates carbon emission crisis resolution under different orientations. Results show that LCM improves model adaptability, aligning with real-world transportation dynamics. Freight adjustments and carbon emissions have non-linear interactions, with railway and air transportation being more flexible than road transportation. The YRD's future freight structure will shift to railway and waterway transportation, but road transportation will still play a key role. Efficiency-oriented solutions, combined with risk management, have high crisis resolution potential, while carbon reduction-oriented solutions, though environmentally beneficial, are less efficient. Recommendations include developing multimodal infrastructure, improving data monitoring, and implementing region-specific strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107939"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792420","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":"Life cycle environmental impact and economic analysis of post-combustion carbon capture technologies in supercritical coal-fired power plants","authors":"Yue Wang, Shuai Shao, Qiufeng Gao, Yun Zhang, Xiaomeng Wang, Xinran Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107933","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107933","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coal-fired power plants remain a major contributor to global CO₂ emissions, necessitating the urgent deployment of carbon capture technologies to mitigate climate impacts. This study evaluated four post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) systems – monoethanolamine (MEA)-based chemical absorption, ammonia-based absorption, membrane separation, and calcium looping (CaL) – through life cycle environmental and economic assessments at the power plant level, to assess the trade-offs between emission reductions and cost-effectiveness across technologies. The results showed that, compared with the baseline plant, PCC technologies reduced the global warming potential and acidification potential by 61.3–77.6 % and 66.2–83.5 %, respectively. Other environmental impact categories increased to varying degrees, in particular Abiotic Depletion Potential fossil (by 3.8–49.3 %) and the marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential (by 10.8–66.8 %), which account for more than 80 % of the total environmental impact. The total life cycle costs of PCC plants increased by 35–66 % compared with that of the baseline plant, with external costs decreasing by 66.5–78.1 % and internal costs increasing by 62.6–100.9 %. The CaL power plant had the lowest environmental impact of the PCC plants except for Abiotic Depletion Potential elements, which had the largest reduction in external costs (78.1 %) and an increase in internal costs (77.7 %). Membrane separation PCC plants had the lowest total life cycle cost, reducing external costs by 70.0 %, while increasing internal costs by only 62.6 % compared. Thus, we recommend deploying membrane separation as a PCC technology, which combines environmental and economic factors. Our findings provide a reference for companies to select and deploy carbon capture technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107933"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792421","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":"Assessing the impact of data factor development on low-carbon energy transition: Insights from Chinese cities","authors":"Xiaobo Shen , Boqiang Lin , Zhicheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107941","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since data is increasingly recognized as a vital component in production, studying its role in low-carbon energy transition (LCET) is crucial for promoting sustainable urban development. This research focuses on Chinese cities and utilizes a Difference-in-Differences (DID) approach to empirically investigate the effects of data factor development (DFD) on LCET. The results indicate that DFD facilitates urban LCET, with green innovation and high-tech industry agglomeration as essential channels. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that non-central cities, old industrial bases, new energy demonstration cities, and cities with high digital industry activity show more substantial impacts from DFD on LCET. Further analysis reveals that the progress of green financing and the heightened government attention to the low-carbon environment substitute the beneficial effects of DFD on LCET. These findings provide policy insights for urban management authorities to steer economic digital transformation and advance the clean development of energy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107941"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785695","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}
Qi Cui , Xinyu Zhang , Lingyu Yang , Tariq Ali , Yong Yang , Hui Wang , Ruoyu Liu
{"title":"Assessing decarbonization pathways by weighing carbon mitigation efficiency and risks in China's energy system","authors":"Qi Cui , Xinyu Zhang , Lingyu Yang , Tariq Ali , Yong Yang , Hui Wang , Ruoyu Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107935","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107935","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the world's leading developing nation, China faces significant challenges in balancing carbon reduction with socioeconomic development. Selecting the most effective decarbonization pathway is crucial for achieving China's carbon neutrality target by 2060. However, previous studies primarily focused on carbon mitigation efficiency while overlooking the operational risks associated with energy system transitions. This study couples a CGE model (CHINAGEM) and an energy system model (EnergyPLAN) through a soft-linkage method to comprehensively evaluate the environmental, economic, and energy impacts of various decarbonization pathways in China. By balancing carbon mitigation efficiency against operational risks, the study identifies the most suitable strategies for carbon neutrality. The findings show that increasing electricity generation and greater renewable energy penetration heighten power generation fluctuations, raising operational risks. Although pathways emphasizing renewable energy and end-use electrification can achieve higher carbon mitigation efficiency, they also pose greater operational risks to energy system. Implementing energy efficiency policies can mitigate these risks. Therefore, pathways that effectively balance high mitigation efficiency with lower operational risk are the most suitable for achieving China's carbon neutrality goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107935"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768673","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":"Assessing the impact of green finance development on clean renewable energy use in cooking: A new perspective at the household level","authors":"Binhui Wei , Chunkai Zhao , Jinchen Yan , Jing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107934","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107934","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While the positive environmental impact of green finance has garnered significant academic attention, most studies have focused on the industry or firm level. The potential effects of green financial development on household adoption of clean renewable energy (CRE) remain underexplored. This paper leverages the quasi-natural experiment of establishing the Green Finance Reform and Innovation Zone (GFRIZ) in China, using difference-in-differences and synthetic difference-in-differences methods to identify the causal impact of green financial development on household CRE use in cooking. The baseline findings indicate that the implementation of the GFRIZ policy increased the likelihood of households adopting CRE in cooking. Moreover, this positive impact can be attributed to environmental awareness, green innovation, and income growth effects. Further analyses revealed that green financial development has a more substantial positive effect on cooking CRE adoption among urban households, households engaged in services, highly educated households, and those in regions with better economic conditions and digital infrastructure. This study enhances the understanding of the environmental benefits of green financial development. Importantly, evidence from the Chinese context may offer valuable insights for other developing countries seeking to develop green finance systems to promote household energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107934"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143759085","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":"Rising energy-economic inequality in China and its determinants: A domestic value chain decomposition approach","authors":"Junna Yan , Ping Zou , Xiaoyong Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107936","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107936","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interregional energy cooperation, exemplified by China's west-to-east electricity and gas transmission projects, plays crucial roles in safeguarding energy security and promoting economic growth. However, imbalanced energy-economic flows in domestic trade could undermine these collaborative efforts. This study investigates energy-economic inequality (EEI) associated with domestic trade, defined as the uneven distribution of energy costs and economic benefits across regions, and its determinants, using a domestic value chain (DVC) decomposition within a multi-regional input-output framework. The results show that: (1) Both energy consumption and value-added embodied in three DVC components (i.e., traditional, simple, complex DVCs) have steadily increased, highlighting substantial energy and economic transfers from resource-dependent inland regions to affluent coastal regions; (2) The national EEI index has demonstrated sustained growth, rising by 134.25 % between 2012 and 2020, with accelerated growth (81.16 %) occurring during 2017–2020. This upward trend was most pronounced within the complex DVC, with the greatest mutual EEIs observed between industrialized provinces (e.g., Beijing, Zhejiang, Guangdong) and resource-rich provinces (e.g., Qinghai, Ningxia); (3) Rising mutual EEIs between 2012 and 2020 were primarily driven by interregional disparities in energy efficiency and production structure. For specific DVC pathways, the EEI in the traditional DVCs was mainly influenced by final demand structure effects, while those in simple and complex DVCs were determined by production structure effects. This study offers a methodological framework for future research on environmental and economic inequalities based on DVC decomposition and provides insights for policymakers seeking to mitigate EEI through coordinated efforts within DVCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"114 ","pages":"Article 107936"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143746791","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}