How Does Perceived Neighborhood Environment Affect Commuting Mode Choice and Commuting CO2 Emissions? An Empirical Study of Nanjing, China

Examining the Nonlinear and Synergistic Effects of Multidimensional Elements on Commuting Carbon Emissions: A Case Study in Wuhan, China

Understanding the specific effects of multidimensional elements of a built environment, transportation management policies, and the socio-demographics of travelers associated with commuting carbon emissions is significant for planners in promoting low-carbon and healthy urban development through transportation and land use and urban management policies. Most of the existing studies focus on the complex mechanisms affecting commuting behavior, but the relevant elements and specific mechanisms affecting commuting carbon emissions have not received sufficient attention. This study uses a random forest approach to analyze residential travel data from Wuhan, China. The results show that built environment and transportation demand management policies are critical to commuting carbon emissions, and that there is a non-linear association between multidimensional factors and commuting carbon emissions in Chinese cities. In addition, the study examines the synergistic effects of built environment and transportation management policies on commuting carbon emissions among different built environment elements. The results of the study provide valuable insights for planners in formulating low-carbon city and transportation development policies.

Impacts of Built-Environment on Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Traffic: A Systematic Literature Review

With the acceleration of global urbanization, the interaction between the urban built environment and transportation carbon emissions (TCE) has become an urgent problem and an area of intensive research. This paper presents a bibliometric and visual analysis of 1060 pieces of literature related to the built environment and TCE from 1998 to 2022. It explores the current research progress and future development trends in this field. The results show the following. (1) The number of papers published on the built environment and TCE during this period has shown a continuous increasing trend, and the periods of growth can be divided into three stages. (2) Research in this area has been carried out in many countries and regions around the world, involving different dimensions such as examinations at the city, provincial, and national levels. (3) Through an analysis involving keyword clustering, a keyword hotspot map, and a burst map, we have established that the research on TCE has exhibited step-by-step growth, and the carbon emissions from vehicles is the topic that has been considered over the longest period. (4) The impact of the built environment on TCE can be broadly divided into macro-functional and micromorphological factors.

Green Paradox or Forced Emission Reduction-The Dual Effects of Environmental Regulation on Carbon Emissions

In response to global climate change, China made a commitment about carbon emissions at the UN General Assembly. It will strive to achieve carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. To help China successfully meet its carbon emissions targets this study examines the impact of environmental regulation on carbon emissions from a different perspective. Using panel data from 30 provinces in China as samples, this paper discusses the direct and indirect effect of environmental regulation on carbon emissions and explains the indirect process through four transmission paths: energy consumption structure, industrial structure, technological innovation, and foreign direct investment (FDI). The empirical results show that the direct effect of environmental regulation on carbon emissions presents an inverted U-shaped curve, it means that when the intensity level of environmental regulation is low, it mainly shows the green paradox effect, and with the continuous tightening of environmental laws, it turns into a forced emission reduction on carbon emissions. In addition, we found that under the constraint of environmental regulation conditions, the coal-based energy consumption is still the leading cause of carbon emissions; environmental regulations have contributed to the upgrading of industrial structure and technological advance, which indirectly play a positive role in carbon emission reduction. However, environmental regulation restrains the spillover effect and capital accumulation effect of FDI, which brings a specific degree of hindrance to technological progress and economic development, and is not conducive to carbon emission reduction. Therefore, we have made the following recommendations: China should make reasonable use of environmental policies to regulate carbon emissions according to the situation of each region, optimize the energy structure and increase the proportion of clean energy use, and improve the technology level of related industries to reduce carbon emissions by innovation.