Sustainability Commons^™

Ma Yu: Niubeiliang World Biosphere Reserve: Nature Education For Future, Editorial Office Of Bulletin Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Yang Kun, Xing Huaibo: Ten Years’ Journey Of Hanma World Biosphere Reserve, Editorial Office Of Bulletin Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Reactive Dye Wash-Off Processing Of Cotton Fabrics Using Polymer Dye Transfer Inhibitors For Sustainable Dyeing, Muhammad Nazrul Islam, Tuba Toprak-Cavdur, Safiqul Islam, Fatema Tarannum, Keisha Walters

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cotton fiber consumption is higher than any other natural fiber due to its superior mechanical and physical properties. In the conventional reactive dyeing process, the dye undergoes hydrolysis due to hydrogen bonding and weak Van der Waals forces, yielding poor washing color fastness. Additionally, the post-dyeing wash-off process consumes significant amounts of water, energy, and time in order to remove the unreacted and hydrolyzed dye. Therefore, reactive dyes are predominantly utilized to color cotton fabrics as the covalent bond formed between dye and fiber results in excellent washing fastness for a wide range of colors, and improved ease of use. …

Willingness To Pay And Market Potential For Biowrap: An Economic Study Of A New Biodegradable Mulch Product In Home Gardening, Gengchen Cai

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explores the market potential of BioWRAP, a biodegradable sprayable weed suppression product, by assessing the willingness to pay (WTP) among American home gardeners. Traditional plastic mulch offers significant agronomic benefits but poses considerable environmental challenges, making BioWRAP a promising alternative due to its similar benefits and reduced environmental impact. Using a double-bounded contingent valuation method, we analyze the WTP for BioWRAP among different demographic groups and gardening practices. Our findings indicate that the highest WTP for BioWRAP is among home gardeners who currently use chemical sprays for weed suppression, followed by those using physical barriers, with the lowest …

Understanding Associations Between Disasters And Sustainability, Resilience, And Poverty: An Empirical Study Of The Last Two Decades, Dean Kyne, Dominic Kyei

Sociology Faculty Publications

This study investigates the impact of disasters on sustainability, resilience, and poverty, using data from the “Sustainable Development Report” and the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) from 2000 to 2023. Regression models assessed the effects of disasters, deaths, injuries, affected individuals, and economic damage on normalized values of the dependent variables with lag periods of one, two, and three years of independent variables. The results reveal that disasters consistently negatively impact sustainability and resilience, highlighting the need for robust disaster risk reduction strategies and resilient infrastructure. Higher mortality rates significantly hindered development, emphasizing the importance of improving early warning systems, emergency …

Developing Green Design, Leading Green And Low-Carbon Society, Yongxiang Lu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Green design refers to a design principle and method that comprehensively considers energy and resource conservation, emission reduction, and environmental impact during the product manufacturing and operation process in the product design stage. It strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire product lifecycle. In the era of information networks, green design is supported by big data, AI network collaborative design, network detection and monitoring, etc. It involves selecting energy-saving processes, green and low-carbon materials, and optimizing product geometry design and surface treatment to achieve efficient resource utilization and minimize waste. For example, selecting environmentally friendly materials through networked …

Research And Implications Of The Us Clean Energy Strategy, Lanchun Li, Qing Liu, Wei Chen, Yun Tang, Jun Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As the world enters a new period of carbon neutrality, the US government is actively building a clean energy innovation ecosystem through both internal and external measures. Systematically tracking and in-depth analysis of the intent, structure, approach, and other characteristics of the new phase of the US clean energy strategy is of practical significance to Chinese energy revolution. The US focuses on the strategic objectives of science and technology innovation, energy security, and infrastructure, and has constructed an innovation ecology characterized by technology lists, planning blueprints, full-chain research, and innovative subjects from the perspective of whole-government coordination, cross-institutional decision-making, deep …

Effective Carbon Cost Constraints: Unity Of Environmental Effectiveness, Cost Effectiveness, And Incentive Effectiveness, Yongping Sun, Jingning Jiang, Xinyu Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The carbon market serves as a crucial policy tool in the pursuit of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. It holds significant importance in driving the innovation of green and low-carbon technologies in China, facilitating the realization of nationally determined contributions, and bolstering China’s global leadership in climate action. The core function of the carbon market is carbon pricing, which can only be effective and achieve various objectives like carbon emissions reduction and sustainable development when carbon costs are reasonably constrained. Environmental effectiveness, cost effectiveness, and incentive effectiveness are three important dimensions to evaluate the effectiveness of the carbon market, …

Natural Resource Factors Promoting Urban And Rural Integrated Development In The New Era: Target Selection And Policy Design, Zhimin Zhang, Guohua Yuan, Ruilin Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Reconstructing the reverse flood of natural resource elements in rural and urban regional systems is the basic form of requirement for realizing urban-rural integration. Taking target selection-realistic obstacles-institutional demand-system construction as the logical main line, starting from the current situation of natural resource element allocation under the framework of urban-rural integrated development, it sorted out the problems existing in the urban-rural integrated development of natural resources such as asymmetrical property rights design, inconsistent bearing plans of various types, lack of natural resource revenue sharing mechanism, and poor asset flow channels and trading systems, with unified layout, power return, paid use, …

International Development Strategy And Analysis Of Science And Technology Trends In Carbon Capture, Utilization, And Storage (Ccus), Aning Qin, Yuling Sun

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the context of carbon neutrality, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as a critical focus for policymakers worldwide. Recognized as a critical tool for combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality, CCUS has gained widespread endorsement from major nations and international organizations. Through methods such as bibliometrics, text clustering, and comprehensive research involving foreign official institutions and authoritative websites, this study delves into the technology strategy and development trends of CCUS. It is found that various countries，including the United States, Europe, and Japan, have sequentially rolled out CCUS strategies, elevating CCUS to a pivotal national strategic …

Scientifically Improving Integrated Water Governance For Resilient Flow Of The Yellow River, Shuai Wang, Shuang Song, Yanxu Liu, Xutong Wu, Enhui Jiang, Bojie Fu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The severe soil erosion and river channel disconnection along the Yellow River have been curbed. Still, the fundamental situation of prominent contradictions in the relationship between humans and water has not changed. Scientifically enhancing comprehensive management capabilities has become an important demand for high-quality development in the Yellow River basin during this new era. This study summarizes the fundamental ecological and hydrological changes in the Yellow River basin, and identifies three main characteristics, namely, sediment transport has significantly decreased, water resource shortages have intensified, and the relationship between humans and water has changed significantly. The four key challenges for sustainable …

Analysis Of International Carbon Budget Management Systems And Their Applicability To China, Wenjun Wang, Huiquan Huang, Xujie Zhao, Pengcheng Xie, Chonghui Fu, Qiaqia Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China is establishing a carbon budget management system at both provincial and municipal levels. The carbon budget system, as a policy tool for integrating total carbon emission management and economic planning, has already been effective in developed countries. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the concept, core elements, and practical experiences of the carbon budget system, and compares international practices with China’s low-carbon management system in the context of national circumstances. It extracts elements from international experiences that provide empirical insights, exhibit reference value, and require localization and innovation. Based on the analysis, this study proposes the following policy …

Groundwater Modeling Of The Ogallala Aquifer: Use Of Machine Learning For Model Parameterization And Sustainability Assessment, Tewodros Aboret Tilahun

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Addressing groundwater depletion problems in heterogeneous aquifer systems is a challenge. The heterogeneous Ogallala Aquifer, a critical source of groundwater in the central United States, has undergone decades of decline in water levels due to pumping. This project aims to build a robust groundwater model to evaluate optimal scenarios for sustainable use of the groundwater resource within a section of the Ogallala aquifer located in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (MRNRD). This study follows a comprehensive approach involving parameterization, construction, and optimization. The model is parametrized using hydraulic conductivity and recharge values obtained from a random forest-based machine learning …

Coffee In Brasil: Sustainability And The Role Of Intermediaries, Livia Petzinger

Capstone Collection

ABSTRACT

Coffee is traded in a highly complex global value chain where countless sustainability initiatives have emerged to address social, economic, and environmental issues, challenges which persist due to dominance of the market structure by largescale traders and roasters. Specialty coffee and direct trade have emerged as alternative trade arrangements that promote high-quality coffee through the use of sustainable practices, transparency, and a shortened supply chain. This research analyzes the role that intermediaries in the Brazilian specialty coffee supply chain play in the implementation of sustainability initiatives asking what kinds of sustainability practices they implement and why, and how this …

Solar Photovoltaics As Climate Change Adaptations For Farmers In West Bengal, India: Barriers Within A Food-Water-Energy Nexus Approach, Emily Rochford

Capstone Collection

This capstone research project seeks to identify and address barriers to the use of solar photovoltaics (PV) as an adaptation method to climate change for farmers in West Bengal, India. These barriers are examined within the context of the food-water-energy nexus, particularly concerning the ability of many small holder farmers to produce their own food and sustain their livelihoods. Previous studies have examined both energy access and renewable energy development in West Bengal, and also the food-water-energy nexus in its application to climate change. However, there is minimal literature on how renewable energy development should be applied within the nexus …

Lca Operational Carbon Reduction Based On Energy Strategies Analysis In A Mass Timber Building, Moein Hemmati, Tahar Messadi, Hongmei Gu, Mahboobeh Hemmati

Architecture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Buildings play a significant role in the rise of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Building operations are responsible for 28% of the world’s carbon emissions. It is crucial, therefore, to evaluate the environmental impact of various buildings’ operational phase in order to implement sustainable strategies for the mitigation of their energy usage and associated carbon footprint. While numerous studies have been conducted to determine the carbon footprint of conventional building operation phases, there are still a lack of actual data on the operational carbon (OC) emissions of mass timber buildings. There is also a lack of research pertaining to the …

Sustainability Measures Of The Apparel Industry: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Apparel Corporations’ Sustainability Efforts, Lance Cheramie, Mahendran Balasubramanian

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change is a paramount challenge of our era, with profound implications for various sectors, including the apparel industry, known for its extensive environmental footprint throughout the entire clothing lifecycle. This study assesses the industry’s carbon emission trends using six years of data (2017–2022) focusing on Scope 1 and Scope 2. Employing a one-way repeated measures ANOVA, this study evaluates the impact of sustainability strategies on emissions. The results indicate a notable decrease in Scope 2 and overall carbon emissions, while Scope 1 emissions remain relatively unchanged despite a downward trend. These findings underscore the success of current sustainability measures …

“Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”: Pathways And Prospects For Ecological Gdp In The Yellow River Basin, Guangqian Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

This study, following Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization philosophy and the two mountains concept, explores pathways for realizing ecological value and mechanisms for ecological GDP in the Yellow River Basin. The research demonstrates that the two mountains concept breaks through the limitations of traditional development paradigms, providing a foundational guide for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. The research shows that constructing an ecological asset system and incorporating it into GDP accounting is the key to addressing the challenges of ecological value transformation. This requires adherence to the principles of “requisition-compensation balance” and “market-based transaction”, coupled with …

Theoretical Connotations And Chinese Practices Of Nature-Based Solutions, Bojie Fu, Jun Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The global ecological environment is confronted with severe challenges such as intensified climate change, drastic reduction of biodiversity and land degradation, which seriously affect the sustainable development of human beings. These challenges promote profound reflection on the relationship between human beings and nature. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) has emerged as an innovative concept of global ecological governance thateffectively responds to societal challenges. Its development has gone through embryonic stage, developmental stage and comprehensive application stage. Multidisciplinary principles such as restoration ecology and landscape ecology constitute the theoretical foundation of NbS. China has effectively integrated the concept of NbS with the construction …

Scientific Understanding And Transformation Pathways For “Ice And Snow Are Also As Valuable As Gold And Silver”, Qi Feng, Shijin Wang, Rongfang Zhao, Bao Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, and “ice and snow are also as valuable as gold and silver”. Excellent ecology, ecological enrichment, and happy life are concrete manifestations of the Chinese-style modernization featuring harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature. Compared with lucid waters and lush mountains, ice and snow covered land is mostly concentrated in winter and spring, making it rather difficult to transform them into mountains of gold and silver. How to forge a pathway of high-quality development of the ice and snow economy to drive the revitalization of rural industries in winter and spring is …

Three-Stage Transformation And Practical Path Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” Concept, Lei Shen, Chao Zhang, Shuai Zhong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” concept (hereinafter referred to as two mountains concept) serves as the important component for China’s ecological civilization construction, breaking the dilemma of traditional development and environmental protection, and fostering the synergy between economy and ecology. Based on a framework integrating conceptual evolution, institutional construction, and practical implementation, this study examines the three stages: the awakening of paradigm and local breakthroughs during the ice-breaking period (2005–2012), system construction and national promotion in the establishment period (2013–2017), and value transformation and global contribution in the sublimation period (2018–present). The analysis reveals that the two …

Editorials

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Exploration And Practice Of Major Function Zoning Based On That “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets, Jie Fan, Jian Gao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

President Xi Jinping’s thought of that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” has led China to modernize in a new form of ecological civilization, and it is also the general guideline for upgrading the major function zoning (MFZ) from planning to a national strategy and basic institution. Focusing on key ecological function zones of the MFZ, this study contends that the implementation of the MFZ strategy is a systematic exploration and innovative practice of the two mountains concept. It clarifies that the original intention of the MFZ is to protect lucid waters and lush mountains by combing through …

Practicing Concept Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” To Advance High-Quality Development Of Territorial Space, Kai Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (two mountains concept) constitutes an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, providing the fundamental guidance for establishing China’s territorial space planning system and its associated technical framework. This study analyzes the specific manifestations and root causes of the periodic conflicts between urban development space and ecological space in China. It further examines the theoretical value and practical significance of the two mountains concept in fostering a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature from the perspective of spatial planning. Currently, China is in a critical period for …

Empirical Study On “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” In Harmonious Development Of Human-Mountain Relationship In Southwest Mountainous Regions, China, Yiping Fang, Xinjun He, Xueyuan Huang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As the country with the largest mountainous area in the world, China’s research on two mountains (“lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”) concept in mountainous sustainable development holds significant theoretical and practical implications for unleashing green productivity, fostering new quality productive forces, and advancing the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and mountains. This study employs emergy analysis and literature review to evaluate the value transformation efficiency of two mountains concept across 37 national two mountains practice bases in mountainous counties of Southwestern China. The results indicate that: (1) the transformation level is higher in urban core areas …

Strategic Insights For Developing Protected Areas System With National Parks As Mainstay In New Era: Marking 20 Years Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”, Baorong Huang, Xuetian Hu, Huizhi Zhang, Ling Tang, Zhi Wang, Zhi Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the new era, the advancement of Chinese path to modernization places new demands on the development of a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay. At the same time, as reform deepens, the system faces emerging challenges, including outdated conservation concepts, insufficient systemic integration, proliferation of management exclusions, and weak social functions, hindering the effective transformation of lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets. This study recommends that, guided by the two mountains concept and aligned with the strategic goals of national modernization, China must comprehensively advance the construction and reform of the protected areas system …

Prospective And Strategic Value Of Roadmap For Regional Sustainable Development Research—Post-Evaluation Of Regional Development Research In China: A Roadmap To 2050, Rui Guo, Hanchu Liu, Jie Fan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In 2007, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) pioneered China’s 2050 science and technology development strategy and roadmap research, published the “Innovation 2050” strategic research series in 2009. The Regional Development Research in China: A Roadmap to 2050 (hereafter referred as to Roadmap) was one of these 19 reports. This study evaluates the implementation effectiveness of CAS’s regional sustainable development initiatives since publication through the lens of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilization particularly the “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (two mountains) concept, while concurrently assessing the Roadmap’s strategic research outcomes. Key findings include the followings. (1) …

Innovative Practices And Application Exploration Of Gross Ecosystem Product (Gep) Accounting In Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, Qin Qiao, Qingxia Lin, Yi Li, Huiyi Yu, Chao Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Improving the mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products is a crucial approach to implementing the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” and it holds significant importance for promoting the transformation of ecological value and the green transition of the economy and society. As China’s first pilot city for the ecological product value realization mechanism, Lishui City has consistently innovated in gross ecosystem product (GEP) accounting and the application of its outcomes, offering a model and reference for nationwide ecological product value realization. This study systematically examines Lishui’s exemplary practices in ecological product value realization …

Vivid Practice Of Enriching People With Tea In Wuyishan, Nanping, Fujian, Zhenlin Fan, Shengmeng Zheng, Jiamei Wu, Sen Liang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The tea industry serves as the hallmark of Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, and represents a distinctive sector that promotes local prosperity and urban development. Wuyi Mountain leverages its Danxia landform ecological foundation and centuries-old tea culture heritage to integrate the coordinated development of tea culture, tea industry, and tea science and technology, thereby establishing an innovative pathway for transforming “lucid waters and lush mountains” into “ecological premiums” and ultimately into “invaluable assets”. To address structural issues in the traditional tea industry, Wuyishan has promoted ecological cultivation as the foundation for enhancing processing standardization and brand development, thereby facilitating industrial transformation …

Empowering High-Quality Development In Mengyin County Of Shandong Province Through Honey Peach Industry, Xue Wang, Yunquan Miao, Liangjie Xin

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a typical old revolutionary base area county, mountainous county, and national key ecological function zone, Mengyin County has deeply implemented the concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (two mountains concept), empowering the high-quality development of its peach industry through ecological means. By optimizing the ecological environment, Mengyin has laid a solid foundation for the peach industry, transforming its pristine ecology into a natural competitive advantage for industrial growth. Leveraging scientific and technological innovation, the county has driven the upgrading and extension of the peach industry chain, while simultaneously pioneering circular agriculture models and integrating tertiary …