Frontiers in Environmental Economics

Introduction Globalisation has accelerated international trade and tourism, both of which have complex implications for environmental sustainability, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. While trade expansion may intensify pollution, tourism can either exacerbate or mitigate environmental degradation depending on structural and policy contexts. This study examines the effects of trade ope…

Digital transformation is widely recognized as a critical driver of sustainable industrial development and the low-carbon transition. However, empirical evidence suggests that policy-driven digitalization does not automatically translate into improved environmental performance. This study examines whether and under what conditions the interaction among digital transformation, industrial policy, t…

Introduction Information on the distribution of the benefits from natural capital is scarce. In this paper we propose a framework for quantifying rents from natural capital by institutional sectors or groups of beneficiaries and apply it to natural capital in Switzerland. Methods We draw on concepts of natural capital and rents from previous work and distinguish four main groups of beneficiaries:…

Introduction Both demography and emission trading scheme impact heat-related mortality (HRM), but the interactive impacts of demography and ETS on HRM are usually neglected in the literature. In this paper, we attempt to narrow the research gap by studying the collective impacts of the demographic factors and the ETS implemented in China during 2025–2060. Method To achieve this research target, a…

Introduction Sub-Saharan Africa faces increasing environmental pressure amid rising energy demand, economic growth, and rapid population expansion. While renewable energy is often promoted as a pathway to sustainable development, fossil fuel dependence remains widespread in the region. This study examines the dynamic effects of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on environmental susta…

This study examines the role of corporate management in advancing green finance and sustainable development in Germany using annual data covering the period from 1995 to 2022. The analysis integrates a composite Sustainable Development Index a Corporate Management Index and a Green Finance Index to capture the interaction between governance structures financial mechanisms and sustainability outco…

Climate change has resulted in global warming (CO 2 ) extremes, leading to academic debates on how climate change is impacting economic growth. Additionally, how do regulatory environments address climate change issues from a developing country perspective? The novelty of the study stems from a contribution to the stock of empirical evidence on the SADC region (1990–2023), employing panel data an…

As the contradiction between China's economic growth and energy consumption becomes increasingly prominent, how to guide resource allocation towards green sectors through financial policies has emerged as a critical issue for achieving sustainable development. As a key instrument integrating environmental regulation with financial control, green credit policies require in-depth examination to det…

Coastal areas are increasingly exposed to environmental pressures due to mass tourism and climate change. Understanding how different user groups value coastal environmental services is essential to design effective and sustainable management strategies. This study explores differences in willingness to pay (WTP) for key coastal services-cleanliness, security, and environmental protection-between…

This paper investigates the transformative potential of financial institutions in driving the shift toward a regenerative economy, with a particular emphasis on embedding circularity within financial and economic systems. In the face of escalating ecological degradation, resource exhaustion, and systemic inequality, there is an urgent imperative to reimagine traditional economic models through re…

Adapting to climate change is a key challenge for metropolis, and it partly deals with population location and flood risk management. The objective of this article is to understand the way flood risk is actually taken into account in residential choices. To this end, we measure how flood risk influences property prices and in particular, we target two specific flood management public instruments:…

Despite its ecological significance and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, the Gerês-Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (GX), spanning the border region between northern Portugal and southern Galicia (Spain), faces increasing socio-environmental challenges. However, existing research rarely addresses the interdependences of the social and physical spaces in peripheral regions of protected natura…

Introduction This study investigates the effect of training hours received from Large-Scale Private Investors (LSPIs) on rice yield, farm income, and food security among smallholder farmers in Ghana. With the expansion of LSPIs in agricultural service delivery, identifying the optimal intensity of extension services is key to maximizing their impact. Methods Using data from rice-producing househo…

Economic growth within the traditional linear production model increases environmental pressure, depleting resources, and raising pollution levels. In contrast, the circular economy promotes closed production cycles, ensuring the repeated use of extracted resources. However, transitioning to this model requires active innovation adoption. Despite its rising popularity, circular economy concepts r…

Introduction New digital infrastructure (NDI) is a key driver for agricultural green development (AGD). However, its underlying mechanisms and heterogeneous impacts remain to be explored. This study focuses on agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) in China, aiming to elucidate the direct effects of NDI on AGD, its mediating pathways, and geographical heterogeneity, thereby providin…

The term “polycrisis” has become a buzzword to describe the entanglement and reinforcement of multiple global crises that may put the survival of humankind at risk. It builds upon Sustainability Science and its research on the complex interactions of systemic risks. The research approach has its roots in the “Limits to Growth” report published by the Club of Rome in 1972. The publication predicte…

In this paper, we propose the realized EGARCH model with jumps (hereafter REGARCH-Jump model) to model and forecast the crude oil futures volatility. A key feature of the proposed REGARCH-Jump model is its ability to account for the extreme-value information as well as time-varying jump intensity. We apply the REGARCH-Jump model to the Brent crude oil futures price data. Our empirical results pro…

Introduction Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are increasingly promoted as cost-effective, and environmentally friendly source of protein in animal nutrition. However, there is limited information about farmers' adoption rates and the factors influencing their adoption decisions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This article assesses livestock farmers' actual and potential adoption rates of BSFL and de…

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in the development of the green economy. This paper examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on green economic efficiency (GEE) using panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning 2011–2020. A multiple linear regression model, alongside various endogeneity and robustness tests, is applied to ensure reliable findings. The empirical resu…

Introduction This study investigates the role of geographic proximity to local environmental protection agencies (EPAs) in enhancing firms' energy efficiency. It explores how environmental pressure and green innovation are influenced by spatial dynamics, providing new insights into the Porter hypothesis. Methods The analysis utilizes energy consumption and geographic data from Chinese industrial …