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Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 35143

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yongrok Choi

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Guest Editor

Department of International Trade, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
Interests: energy & environment (E&E); e-Business
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24), held between 2 and 15 December 2018 in Katowice, Poland, agreed on rules to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement. The rules will come into force in 2020, for all participating governments to measure and to report on their emissions-cutting efforts. Based on this commitment of the COP24, all of the countries entered a new era, to provide more “transparent, measurable, and predictable” abatement efforts to overcome global warming. There were a lot of disputable agendas and issues, depending on the different circumstances and economic situations, but the Paris Regime shall overcome all of the possible challenges and create a new optimal path for all humankind. Clearly, sustainable development urgently requires the public and private sectors in diverse fields of activities, because of its complicated, yet complex procedure of the enactment. Northeast Asian countries are very sensitive to this matter because of the strong leadership of their governments, and, thus, it is of the utmost importance to develop sustainable governance in order to solve sustainable development and sustainable management issues in more harmonized ways. This Special Issue shall focus on these challenges under the Paris Regime 2020.

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will consist of selected papers from the Sustainable Asia Conference 2019, an annual international conference held at the Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, China, 21–23 June 2019. SAC 2019 (http://abf.inha.ac.kr/) is one of the leading international conferences for presenting novel and fundamental advances in sustainable development issues for Asia. Clearly, sustainable development urgently requires the public and private sectors in diverse fields of activities, because of its complicated, yet complex procedure of the enactment. Northeast Asian countries are very sensitive to this matter because of the strong leadership of their governments, and, thus, it is of the utmost importance to develop sustainable governance. Government-led political regulations could be much more important in Asia, but without the strong support of the private sector, it cannot be sustainable. We have already seen many policy failures in Asian countries at this initial stage of the ecological civilization. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to seek a workable mechanism for sustainable development. Therefore, this Special Edition shall focus on the issues of sustainable development and its governance, under the Paris Regime 2020.

The subjects of this Special Issue are, but not limited to, the following areas:

Innovative case studies for sustainable eco-friendly innovation with the unique contents of implications and suggestions;
New methodological or conceptual approaches for sustainable governance in Asia;
Regional cooperation for sustainable development or green growth;
Other related issues on sustainable development in the region

References:

Choi, Y. Introduction to the Special Issue on “the Sustainable Asia Conference 2014”, Sustainability, 2015.2(7): 1595-1602.

Choi, Y.; M. Song; S. Myeong, Introduction to the Special Issue on the Sustainable Asia Conference 2015, Sustainability 2016, 8,(266); doi:10.3390/su8030266.

Choi, Y. Sustainable Governance in Northeast Asia: Challenges for the Sustainable Frontier, Sustainability 2017, 9, 191; doi:10.3390/su9020191.

Choi, Y. Regional Cooperation for the Sustainable Development and Management in Northeast Asia, Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 548; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su10020548.

Prof. Yongrok Choi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

economic/social transition
innovation
sustainable governance
Paris Regime
Asia

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

6 pages, 454 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Optimal Transition toward Innovation-led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime

by Yongrok Choi

Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1538; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12041538 - 18 Feb 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1784

Abstract

This Special Issue consists of selected papers from the 2019 Sustainable Asia Conference (SAC), an annual international conference held at the Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, China, in June of 2019, and the 12th Sustainable Asia Conference held at Inha University, Incheon, Korea, in October of 2019. SAC is one of the leading international conferences for presenting novel and fundamental advances in sustainable development issues for Asia. Evidently, sustainable development urgently requires public and private cooperation for the challenges faced across diverse fields of activities because of the complex procedure of enactment. Northeast Asian countries are very sensitive to this matter because of the strong leadership of their governments, and thus, it is of utmost importance to develop sustainable governance mechanisms. Government-led political regulations could be much more important in Asia, but without the strong support of the private sector, they cannot be sustainable. We have already seen many policy failures in Asian countries during this initial stage of ecological civilization. Therefore, this Special Issue proposes the workable mechanism for sustainable development in diverse perspectives. This Special Issue focuses on diverse yet unique issues for sustainable development and its governance under the Paris regime in 2020. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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Research

Jump to: Editorial

23 pages, 829 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Managerial Pro-Social Rule Breaking in the Chinese Organizational Context: Conceptualization, Scale Development, and Double-Edged Sword Effect on Employees’ Sustainable Organizational Identification

by Yanyan Lv, Xiaoguang Liu, Guomin Li and Yongrok Choi

Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 6786; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12176786 - 21 Aug 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2457

Abstract

Managerial Pro-Social Rule Breaking (MPSRB) is a prevalent leadership behavior in China, characterized by conflict between favor and rule. Despite emerging interest in this behavior, two theoretical questions remain unsolved. First, its definition, dimensions, and measurement in the Chinese context are still lacking or improper; second, its double-edged sword effect on employees’ attitude is rarely empirically examined. This paper conducts three studies to solve these questions. In study 1, based on an analysis of the Chinese traditional culture, three dimensions of MPSRB (i.e., benevolence-based, pragmatic-based, and justice-based) were identified. In study 2, a scale of MPSRB containing 12 items was developed through an interview, preliminary, and formal questionnaire survey. In study 3, employees’ sustainable organizational identification perception (SOIDP) was studied as the dependent variable, to analyze and verify the double-edged sword effect of MPSRB by hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) methods on the data gathered through the three stages from 380 employees. The results show that the three dimensions of MPSRB have a direct positive impact on employees’ SOIDP and, simultaneously, they have an indirect negative impact through the mediating role of procedural justice perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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15 pages, 1124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Governance of the Sharing Economy: The Chinese Bike-Sharing Industry

by Yongrok Choi and Eun Jin Choi

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1195; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12031195 - 07 Feb 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3935

Abstract

Socialist countries, such as China, have stressed the importance of an equitable society where citizens work together. Thus, the sharing economy (e.g., the bike-sharing industry) could be one of the challenges determining the future of China, as the initial bubble of the bike-sharing industry collapsed in 2017, with many problems stemming from the users’ deposits that were lost and the depletion of the investment funds, resulting in numerous malfunctioning bikes every day. This paper evaluates the bike-sharing industry in terms of sustainable governance in the future and identifies its factors. Therefore, we use the structural equation model based on survey questionnaires and find that most of the input variables of the perceived rational (PRV) and emotional values (PEV), perceived risk (PR), and externalities (EXT) are not very successful in promoting the sustainable governance of the bike-sharing industry. However, using the bootstrapping simulation approach, we find that the role of modulators such as satisfaction and sustainable management factors are statistically significant. The modulating effect of a user’s satisfaction on the intention of continuous use based on all four inputs of PRV (0.304), PEV (0.298), PR (−0.156), and EXT (0.263), as well as the other indirect variables of sustainable management, such as environmental factors (0.284), is shown to be statistically significant. Based on these modulating effects, we conclude that the sharing economy, represented by the bike-sharing industry, could be one of the most important business cases for the future of China, but only if it is strongly supported by the public. Therefore, to help the industry get out of its current slump, we propose that the bike-sharing companies put in more diverse efforts to employ multi-use types of innovation with practical benefits such as coupons for the nearest shops, and social functions that enhance the quality of life such as mileage contribution from bike sharing for disabled people. Evidently, the Chinese government should eliminate “the over-supply issues” through appropriate market governance and increase its efforts toward a better public–private partnership (PPP), as the sharing economy should be based on the harmonization of all interest groups to eventually create value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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21 pages, 1516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coupling of Rural Energy Structure and Straw Utilization: Based on Cases in Hebei, China

by Qiang Wang, Thomas Dogot, Xianlei Huang, Linna Fang and Changbin Yin

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 983; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12030983 - 29 Jan 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2717

Abstract

China’s coal-based energy structure is the main reason for the current high-level air pollution and carbon emissions. Now in the North China Plain, the government is vigorously promoting “coal to gas” and “coal to electricity” in the country and the vast rural areas. The development and utilization of biomass resources in agricultural areas is also an effective means of replacing coal. We propose the idea of forming a complementary rural energy structure of “biogas, briquetting, electricity (BBE)” model based on centralized biogas production (CBP) and straw briquetting fuel (SBF) to improve the rural energy structure. This article uses emergy analysis methods to analyze actual cases. It needs to have strengths and avoid weaknesses in mode selection. The process of the analysis reveals the disadvantages and improvement measures. Under the current capacity load, the emergy input and output, eco-economic indicators, sustainable development indicators, environmental load indicators, and economic value have their own advantages and disadvantages. Assuming 100% capacity load, the indicators have great optimization space. Reducing labor input during the planting phase can effectively reduce emergy input. The government needs to provide corresponding support based on the strengths and weaknesses of the project to keep the project sustainability. The development of complementary integration based on local conditions is an important measure to optimize the energy consumption structure in rural areas and improve the ecological environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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18 pages, 574 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does China’s Pollution Levy Standards Reform Promote Green Growth?

by Zhengge Tu, Tao Zhou and Ning Zhang

Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 6186; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11216186 - 05 Nov 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3002

Abstract

Estimating the impact of environmental taxes on economic output is of great theoretical value for promoting green growth in China. Using a dataset of 232 cities from 2004 to 2014, this paper investigates the effect of pollution levy standards reform (PSR) on green total factor productivity (GTFP). We employ directional distance functions (DDF) computed by data envelopment analysis (DEA) to derive GTFP based on the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) productivity index. Then, we investigate the impacts of PSR on China’s GTFP using Difference-in-Differences (DID) estimation. The results reveal that PSR has an inhibitory effect on GTFP, via the mechanism of technological change. Furthermore, PSR has heterogeneous impacts on different city types. The results indicate that PSR statistically significantly reduces GTFP in key environmental protection cities (KEPCs), large cities, and eastern cities, but that it has less impact on non-KEPCs, small/medium cities, megacities, and cities in central areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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18 pages, 1424 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of Residents’ Willingness to Accept and Their Levels for Ecological Conservation in Ganjiang River Basin, China: An Empirical Analysis of Survey Data for 677 Households

by Kai Xiong, Ning Zhang, Chih-Chun Kung and Fanbin Kong

Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 6138; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11216138 - 04 Nov 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2443

Abstract

Using the contingent valuation method and the Heckman two-stage model, we explore residents’ willingness to accept (WTA) compensation and their WTA level for ecological conservation compensation in the upstream of the Ganjiang River Basin in China. The findings reveal that 86.26% of the respondents are willing to accept compensation, and the average compensation level is ¥789.60/household per year. The residents’ gender, annual disposable income, residential location, decision on whether or not the watershed environment is important, and their satisfaction with water quality and quantity are significantly related to their WTA. The influencing factors that significantly affect compensation level are residents’ occupation, educational background, annual disposable income, family size, residential location, decision on whether or not the watershed environment is important, and their satisfaction with water quality and quantity. The results of this empirical research have important policy implications: the government should strengthen advocacy and education of watershed ecological environment protection, intensify farming and other agricultural activities, establish a differentiated and diversified compensation strategy, so as to protect and improve the ecological environment of the Ganjiang River Basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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17 pages, 644 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Impact of Critical Factors on Continuance Intention towards Cross-Border Shopping Websites

by Yin Ma, Athapol Ruangkanjanases and Shih-Chih Chen

Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 5914; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11215914 - 24 Oct 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5386

Abstract

With the intensification of globalization and the widespread adoption of the internet, cross-border e-commerce has become a popular way of shopping. In order to investigate the sustainable development of the cross-border online purchase intention, we propose the framework that uses electronic word of mouth, perceived value, website design quality, trust, perceived risk and the uncertainty avoidance index as the exogenous variables, which influenced the continuance intention towards cross-border shopping and was mediated by the satisfaction of the customers. The results showed: (1) Among all the suggested independent variables, electronic word of mouth, website design quality, trust and the uncertainty avoidance index significantly predicted the satisfaction of the customers; (2) Customer satisfaction towards the websites significantly predicted the continuance intention of users. A detailed explanation of the results and implications for the theoretical and managerial implications for practitioners and academic researchers in the sustainable promotion and development of e-commerce is discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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16 pages, 493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study of the Feasibility of International ETS Cooperation between Shanghai and Korea from Environmental Efficiency and CO₂ Marginal Abatement Cost Perspectives

by Chao Qi and Yongrok Choi

Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4468; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11164468 - 18 Aug 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2818

Abstract

With the worldwide spread of emissions trading schemes (ETSs) and the need for international cooperation on climate change, there is growing interest in linking ETSs. Along with sustainable development, preventing and controlling pollution, is now regarded as an urgent priority by China and Korea. In the context of the willingness of the Chinese and Korean governments to cooperate on ETS, this paper examines the feasibility of a pilot ETS cooperation between Shanghai and Korea from environmental efficiency and CO₂ marginal abatement cost (MAC) perspectives. We apply a directional distance function (DDF) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to estimate the environmental efficiency and the CO₂ MAC of coal-fueled power plants in Shanghai and Korea using cross-sectional data from 2015. The results indicate that the group frontier environmental efficiency of Shanghai and Korea reached a similarly high score. However, as to meta-frontier environmental efficiency, the coal-fueled power plants in Korea performed better than those in Shanghai. The CO₂ MAC results indicate that, despite the small gap in efficiency performance, the CO₂ MAC of coal-fueled power plants is much higher than that in Shanghai due to the big feed-in tariff difference. This is because the MAC not only relates to the environmental efficiency, but also to the feed-in tariff. A higher feed-in tariff leads to higher MAC. To tackle this serious problem, which has also been addressed in previous studies, we suggest that policymakers should focus on the huge CO₂ MAC differences caused by feed-in tariff differences to avoid equity problems when building the structure of the Shanghai-Korea ETS cooperation. For instance, compared with power plants in Shanghai, policymakers should set a looser cap and a higher offset for Korean plants. To reduce the impact of feed-in tariff on carbon trading in the market, it would also be effective to arrange a higher quota or a lower carbon tax for coal-fueled power plants in Korea. In addition, policymakers should fill the gaps of 85.15% and 67.6% between the realistic market price and the MAC results of coal-fueled power plants in Shanghai and Korea, respectively, by introducing stricter regulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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17 pages, 757 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Assessment of the Impact of Spatial Agglomeration on the Quality of China’s Wood Processing Industry Products

by Chenlu Tao, Jinzhu Zhang, Baodong Cheng and Yu Liu

Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3961; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11143961 - 21 Jul 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2652

Abstract

The influence of industrial agglomeration on corporate export behavior has been widely studied by both industry and academia. However, few studies have explored the impact of the spatial agglomeration of China’s wood processing industry on the quality of its products at the micro level. In this study, we analyzed data from the China Customs Database to determine the quality of wood processing industry products at the enterprise level. Then, we matched the China Customs Database with the data in the China Industrial Enterprise Database. Based on this, we analyzed the impact of the spatial agglomeration on the quality of wood products using panel data regression. According to our results, spatial agglomeration of the wood processing industry can significantly improve product quality. Also, private enterprises are more likely to benefit from the advantages conferred by agglomeration than state-owned enterprises. Moreover, trade method does not significantly modulate the effect of spatial agglomeration on the quality of wood products. Last but not least, the agglomeration has the most significantly positive impact on the quality of products produced by the wood chip processing industry, followed by the wood products industry and the wood panel industry. Agglomeration of the bamboo and rattan palm industry actually decreases product quality. Therefore, we encourage agglomeration of timber processing enterprises, especially privately owned wood chip, wood product, and wood panel enterprises, to fully realize the benefits of the agglomeration economy. We also make policy recommendations to improve wood product quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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15 pages, 4537 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Fallow Farming Decision-Making Behavior of Farmers Based on Hawk-Dove Game Theory: The Case of Guizhou Province

by Hualin Xie and Qing Wu

Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3821; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11143821 - 12 Jul 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2727

Abstract

Implementing a land fallow policy is of great significance for ensuring China’s food security and promoting the improvement of the ecological environment. The implementation of a fallow project involves different stakeholders. Farmers are the main participants in the fallow project. The decision of farmers to practice fallow is the key factor for the successful development of the fallow project. Therefore, this study theoretically reveals the decision-making mechanism of farmers’ participation in cultivated land fallow by utilizing the hawk-dove evolutionary game theory among farmers and explains some challenges in the implementation of fallow in Guizhou Province. We drew the following conclusions: (1) The behavior of farmers will be affected by other farmers in the same situation, and the effects of mutual incentives and imitations between the groups of farmers are affected by their interests; (2) in the fallow project, the rate of choosing either fallow or unfallow depends on the ratio of fallow income to planting income. If the income of participating in fallow is higher, the demonstration effect of farmers participating in fallow is stronger, and the strategy of continued cultivation is adopted. The fewer unfallow farmers there are, the more consolidated the results of fallow will be; and (3) the government should protect the income of farmers after fallow as much as possible, implement flexible subsidy policies, and formulate corresponding policies to successfully consolidate the fallow results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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12 pages, 744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is South Korea’s Emission Trading Scheme Effective? An Analysis Based on the Marginal Abatement Cost of Coal-Fueled Power Plants

by Yongrok Choi and Chao Qi

Sustainability 2019, 11(9), 2504; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11092504 - 29 Apr 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4471

Abstract

This paper examines not only the effectiveness of the South Korean emissions-trading scheme (ETS), but also the determinants of its performance. We apply a directional distance function and stochastic frontier analysis method to estimate environmental efficiency and the marginal CO₂ abatement costs for 50 coal-fueled power plants from 2008 to 2016. The result indicates that the efficiency differs between the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administration periods, with performance in the former period being relatively more effective than in the latter. Meanwhile, there were price gaps of 57.98% and 72.76% in 2015 and 2016, respectively, between the realized carbon market price and our result, indicating significant suppressed pressure on the market. We conclude that the Korean government should strengthen its regulations to more effectively implement a green economy. Policymakers could impose a carbon tax; substantially decrease the carbon emissions-free quota; and provide more incentives, especially to the energy-intensive, resource-saving coal-fueled power plants. This would ultimately keep market prices within a reasonable range and achieve a balance between the supply and demand for carbon emission allowances in the market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimal Transition toward Innovation-Led Sustainable Governance under the 2020 Paris Regime in Asia)

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