Optimization and Regulation Policy for Land Use Changes Based on Low-carbon Emission in Developed Regions of China

Land use and cover change(LUCC) is one of the important causes of the Earth’s carbon cycle imbalances resulting from failure in optimizing land use. The solution to this problem has been the hotspot of research in land and environmental science. We took 'low carbon', 'energy saving' and 'high-efficiency' as the goals of land use optimization,and integrated Markov-CA(Cellular Automaton),the Grid-Fractal model and GIS,in order to study carbon emission objective function,to establish a simulation method for land use spatial allocation optimization,to evaluate the effect of the method on carbon emissions. Regulation policy on three types of land use spatial allocation was proposed,including 'low-carbon type', 'low-carbon-economic type' and 'economic type'. We applied the method to analyze the land use spatial allocation in Taixing City of the 'Yangtze River Delta' regions in China,and obtained the following results:(i) The three optimization types would improve carbon emissions by 3. 21%,1. 80% and 0. 36% respectively in 2020,compared with 2010;(ii) The actual planning for 2020 was close to the 'low-carbon-economic type';(iii) The optimization method and regulation policy,combining local optimization and global control,could meet the sustainable multi-objective requirements for low-carbon constraints of land use spatial allocation. The result of this research could also serve as a reference for exploration into patterns of regional low-carbon land use and measures for energy saving and emission reduction.

A study on aquaculture industry regulations and policies of globally representative states

Aquaculture has a long history,and has achieved rapid development from 1950 to 2010,especially since the 1990s.Nevertheless,aquaculture has also seen a series of problems emerge.Inevitably,aquaculture interacts with the environment and society.Rapid development requires that close attention be paid to potential environmental and social impacts and their prevention or mitigation.The development and management of aquaculture is related closely with a variety of legal and institutional arrangements.Thus,aquaculture raises numerous legal and institutional issues.This paper explores actual legal and institutional practices of global representative aquaculture countries and provides a comprehensive account of the legislation and policies of different countries.Further,this paper reveals that the optimal legal framework for aquaculture is in line with related international regulations(especially the soft laws)and strictly operational,and the corresponding policy framework should establish early access and warning,as well as post assessment and feedback mechanisms.

Regulation or Property Rights： The Effect of China＇s Coal Mine Shutdown Policy on Work Safety

Since 1999, shutdown policy has been one of the most important industrial policies in China ＇S coal mining industry. There have been many controversies surrounding this policy and its effect on coal mine safety. This paper summarizes, analyzes and tests two contradicting views of the effects of shutdown policy on the mortality rate of township-and-village-owned coal mines. One view, or the regulative view, believes that shutdown policy induces firms to increase safety input, thus decreasing mortality. The opposing view, or the property rights view, argues that shutdown policy disturbs property rights stability and actually increases mortality. We built a simple theoretical model to analyze these contrasting rationales. The model uses the difference-in-difference method and provincial panel data from 1995 to 2005 to empirically test the policy＇s effects. Our findings are that shutdown policy significantly decreases output while also increasing mortality in township-and-village coal mines. This result is consistent with the property rights view.

Construction of building energy conservation incentive policies under government regulation: Based on the subjects' behavior analysis

Building energy efficiency is a long-term strategy to achieve sustainable development, but the inconsistencies of main interests during the implementation lead to the need for government regulation in building energy conservation. Implementation of building energy efficiency of government regulation covers three aspects of construction and involves relevant participators, so the paper analyzes interests and roles of the related subjects in building energy saving, explore the motivations and its conversion mechanism of each player, and dissect the game relationship of associated earnings of developers' and consumers' behaviors selection under government control. Finally, the paper proposes basic requirements of building incentive policies for related subjects under government control to regulate the main behaviors of subjects in building energy efficient buildings and achieve energy efficiency goals and balance of all parties' benefits.

Central Bank Interest Rate Policy as a Pro-Crisis Instrument of Macroeconomic Regulation

Why does interest rate policy not work in the economy as economic theory suggests?To understand why,you need to look at the economy from a higher level of abstraction.With this approach,only two states of the economy can be distinguished.The first is a“normal”state;the second is crisis and recession.The“normal”state is the period after the recession and before the next crisis.During this period,the basic laws of the market economy work.During a crisis,the relationship between the level of interest rates and borrowing by households and businesses is broken.This explains the ineffectiveness of the policy of lowering interest rates.Different states of the economy have their own laws,and you cannot extrapolate tools that are successful under“normal”market conditions linearly to the crisis state of the economy.Why does the interest rate policy during the period of the“normal”state of the economy not adjust its development in order to prevent the onset of the crisis?Firstly,the conditions for the emergence of crisis phenomena are created by the interest rate policy at the very beginning of the business cycle,when central banks set and maintain low interest rates for a relatively long period.Secondly,by the end of the business cycle,the credit burden in economy reaches its maximum,so there is no further possibility of expanding effective demand by decreasing interest rates.Thirdly,interest rate policy is an instrument for rough adjustment of the economy,indiscriminately affecting all participants in economic relations.In an attempt to stimulate the economy,the central bank creates the conditions for increasing its imbalance.Fourth,at the end of the business cycle,the interest rate policy does not actually support the real economy,but only the stock market.Fifth,the Fed’s policy has formed a pro-crisis conditioned reflex among market participants.Thus,central banks should leave the determination of the level of interest rates to the free market.

Research on the Policies and Means Changes of Macro Regulation and Control of Chinese and Foreign Governments

In the process of economic development, government uses the "visible hand" to achieve macroeconomic regulation and control for "market failure", which has been common knowledge among people after World War II. Comparing policy and means adopted by Chinese and foreign governments in macro regulation and control, we can see that the choice is different in different historical periods and the change of emphasis in macro regulation and control policy and means has the convergence tendency. We can make the following conclusion from research of the change rules of macro regulation and control means in the market economic condition of Chinese and foreign governments: supply-side structural reform in China complies with the basic rules of development of market economy.

Preferential Policy and Tax Regulations Income Tax of Enterprises and Local Income Tax

*Newly-built joint ventures engaged in new and high technological enterprises shall enjoy a 15 percent reduction of income tax for two years, or a 24 percent reduction for two years and a 50 percent reduction in the following three years. A choice between the two may be decided by the said enterprises. **Service industry, those enterprises with a foreign capital of more than US$5 million shall be exempt from the tax

Wind Power Related Policies and Regulations in China--Status, Problems and Solutions

This article identifies urgent problems regarding to China＇s wind power development from the perspective of wind power planning, construction and operation. China＇s wind power has been experiencing rapid growth since the enactment of Renewable Energy Law in 2006, but there are also some problems with respect to the coordinated development of wind power and power grids. By learning experience from United States, Germany, Spain and Denmark, some suggestions are systematically put forward for the improvement of wind power related policies and regulations. By taking a neutral position and taking into account interests of all stakeholders, this article has proposed overall, comprehensive and system-wide political and regulatory solutions to the current problems in wind power development. Firstly, unified planning should be implemented. Secondly, administrative procedures and approval process for grid projects should be streamlined and simplified. Thirdly, Mechanism for ancillary service should be set up to motivate conventional units to operate in a more flexible way. Fourthly, peak/valley or even negative feed-in tariff should be introduced stepwise. Fifthly, pilot projects of heating with wind power should be accelerated.

Pesticide Residues and Government Regulation in China─Evidence from Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables

China is a big producer and exporter of fruits and vegetables,and pesticide residues are an important factor affecting the quality and safety of fruits and vegetables and their export trade.In this paper,we analyzed the pesticide residue data on fruits and vegetables in 32 major Chinese cities between 2012—2019,the export data of Chinese fruits and vegetables and the role of pesticides in foodborne diseases.The results showed that pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables(PRFV)partial excess of maximum residue standard(MRL)and residues of banned pesticide were still widespread in China.By comparing the standards of pesticide residues in the European Union and China and addressing the agricultural situation in China,this paper analyzed the main causes of PRFV in China and put forward some policy suggestions for strengthening government regulation of pesticide application in agricultural products.

Analysis of Global CCS Technology,Regulations and Its Potential for Emission Reduction with Focus on China

This paper introduces the development of Carbon Capture and Storage （CCS） technology, the progress in CCS demonstration projects, and regulations and policies related to CCS. Barriers and limitations for the large-scale deployment of CCS are discussed. CCS and different technological solutions for emission reduction （e.g., energy conservation and renewable energy） are compared. The analysis shows that China should carefully evaluate the negative impacts of CCS deployment and needs to enhance the research and development input in CCS in order to master core technologies of CCS systems. Furthermore, CCS incentives should depend on actual CCS development. Based on the current situation, China may need to focus on retrofitting existing thermal power plants with CCS technology, so CCS can be promoted for future large-scale application.

China＇s Regulations Concerning the Exploitation of Onshore Petroleum Resources in Cooperation with Foreign Enterprises

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Switching to alternative transit:combining bicycle safety improvements with parking regulations

Smart growth policies advocate for economically viable,environmentally conscientious,and socially equitable solutions for urban development.These policies were developed largely in response to issues rooted in the automobile-oriented culture:air pollution,high greenhouse gas emissions,traffic congestion,and sedentary lifestyles.In urban settings,a good transportation alternative is cycling,since it is able to serve the travel needs of nearly half of city dwellers' daily trips.Many European and Canadian cities have successfully increased cycling rates by creating safer bicycle environments and restricting or discouraging automobile use.To evaluate the potential effects of the above measures on American urban areas,this paper examines case studies of cycle tracks and bicycle boulevards implemented in American cities,and how these facility improvements have changed how safe cyclists feel on the road and overall bicycle usage.Results show the two methods are indeed effective in increasing bicycle usage rates.Ultimately,increasing cycling rates needs policies to discourage people from driving,the greatest mode share in nearly all urban areas.Parking policy has major impacts on people's decision to use the automobile.Currently,parking is oversupplied and underpriced in many cities,making it irresistible for people to drive.Decreasing the number of parking spaces available and increasing their price will increase pressure on drivers to drive less,especially for short trips,and to bike instead.It is important for planners and policy makers to realize that solutions from both directions,making biking more enjoyable and making parking,and hence driving,less affordable,should be used in tandem.The complementary nature of the two approaches makes it so the effect of the combination is greater than the sum of the two.

The Crisis, Responsibility and Regulation

Any observer of current economic development in the world and in the Europe should ask about the causes of the current crisis situation. The authors of this article perceive current situation in the European Union and many of its member states associated with long-term developmental tendencies still less respecting the objective differences in various economic situation of the member states. Establishment and further functioning of monetary union in Europe is gradually becoming a burden for many countries, which prevents full utilization of instruments of monetary and fiscal policy by daily, and in many cases qualitative differences in the problems of economies of individual member states. The fulfillment of these tendencies in particular in the Euro Area monetary policy is confronted with the dominant position of member states in fiscal policy and in the mutual differences among member states. As considerations of differences in economic level and in member states fiscal policies, both of them are based on official figures, some of them are part of the state. In addition, EU institutions face to face to crisis they are increasingly resorting to deepening statist centralization and enter more often to the processes which are usually domains of business subjects, at most of nation states. All these trends lead to a deepening asymmetry between the decision-making processes and responsibilities for economic development and they could lead to even larger failure of national economies or at European or global level. Since the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union in 2004 our department has dealing with issues connecting to the economic management of insurance companies and in relation to the ongoing integration process research interest is extended also to other segments of financial markets.

Environmental improvement or industry enhancement?A case study on the impact of environmental regulations on Chinese automobile industry

Developing countries are encouraged to pursue environmental protection and industrial development simultaneously,although it is a big challenge to reach win-win situation.This study explored the relationshipbetween environmental regulations and the industry enhancement in developing countries through conducting an empirical analysis of the impact of environmental regulationson Chinese automobile industry.In the empirical analysis,a total of64Chinese automobile enterprises were investigated,the Malmquist index of total factor productivity was adopted to determine the productivity of Chinese automobiles,and the two-step system Generalised Method of Moments(GMM)estimation was used for the regressionanalysis.The resultsshowedthat environmental regulations negatively affected the productivity and technology of Chinese automobile industry during 2004-2018.The production costof automobile industry in China was rising sharply,and the productivity and technological progress of Chinese automobile industry were impeded significantly.The case of Chinese automobile industry illustrated that strict environmental requirements can negatively impact industry productivity by increasing production costs and squeezing industry profits.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in China: Progress and Prospects of Research on Treatment Technologies and Policy Provisions

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are an atmospheric pollutant with a boiling point of 50˚C - 260˚C at room temperature and pressure. They are precursors of sulfur dioxide and ozone, which can seriously pollute the atmosphere and endanger human health. After the “14th Five-Year Plan”, VOCs, instead of SO2, became one of the five indicators of China’s atmospheric governance. As a result, the government’s efforts to control VOCs have increased significantly. VOCs governance mustn’t be delayed. This paper provides a comprehensive summary and analysis of VOCs governance, covering the classification of VOCs, analysis of VOC governance technology (with a focus on end-of-pipe governance technology), national policy regulations, current governance shortcomings, and a forward-looking perspective on the future direction of VOCs governance, emphasizing healthy and sustainable development.

Research on the effects of command-and-control and market-oriented policy tools on China's energy conservation and emissions reduction innovation

The impact of environmental regulation on technology innovation is a hot spot in current research where a large number of empirical studies are based on Porter Hypothesis(PH). However, there are still controversies in academia about the establishment of "weak" and "narrow" versions of PH. Based on the panel data of application for patent of energy conservation and emission reduction(ECER) technology of Chinese city scale during 2008-2014, comprehensive energy price, pollutant emission, etc., mixed regression model and systematic generalized method of moments method were adopted, respectively,to study the impact of market-oriented and command-and-control policy tool on China's ECER technology innovation. The results show that the environmental regulation hindered the technological innovation in the immediate phase; however, it turned out to be positive in the first-lag phase. Hence, the establishment of "weak" PH is time-bounded. The command-and-control policy tool played a more positive role in promoting technological innovation in the first-lag phase than market-oriented policy tool. Therefore, "narrow" PH is not tenable. The reason is that the main participants of China's ECER technology innovation are state-owned companies and public institutions. Regionally speaking, the impact which command-and-control policy tool has on technological innovation at sight was nonsignificant in the eastern, the central, and the western regions of China whilst market-oriented policy tool had a negative effect. And market-oriented policy tool in the central region had strongest negative effect, which would diminish in the eastern region and become weakest in the western region. This was related to regional energy consumption level and the market economic vitality.

Adaptive Linear Quadratic Regulator for Continuous-Time Systems With Uncertain Dynamics

In this paper, adaptive linear quadratic regulator(LQR) is proposed for continuous-time systems with uncertain dynamics. The dynamic state-feedback controller uses inputoutput data along the system trajectory to continuously adapt and converge to the optimal controller. The result differs from previous results in that the adaptive optimal controller is designed without the knowledge of the system dynamics and an initial stabilizing policy. Further, the controller is updated continuously using input-output data, as opposed to the commonly used switched/intermittent updates which can potentially lead to stability issues. An online state derivative estimator facilitates the design of a model-free controller. Gradient-based update laws are developed for online estimation of the optimal gain. Uniform exponential stability of the closed-loop system is established using the Lyapunov-based analysis, and a simulation example is provided to validate the theoretical contribution.

Impact of Mandatory Provisions on the Validity of Juristic Acts: A Path for Legal Policy Analysis

Contrary to the approach in judicial practice,Paragraph 1,Article 153,of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China,as a rule of invalidity for violating mandatory provisions,does not adopt a dichotomy towards mandatory provisions with effectiveness and administrative characteristics,yet it maintains the legislative philosophy of differentiation.It leaves unspecified whether mandatory provisions that do not explicitly render a juristic act invalid impact the act’s validity,entrusting this determination to the discretion of judges on a case-by-case basis.When judges,under the authority of Paragraph 1,Article 153 of the Civil Code,explore the normative intent of mandatory provisions to assess their effect on the validity of juristic acts,they should engage in legal policy analysis centered on consequence-based argumentation to overcome the limitations of norm typological analysis.This analysis employs a reasoning model predicated on the normative purpose,utilizing a consequencefocused interpretative approach for formulating and arguing propositions of rules applicable to pending cases,thereby arriving at case-specific conclusions.Since the invalidation of juristic acts serves as an auxiliary regulatory tool for the state economy and society,a consequence-oriented interpretation needs to be based on the idea of mutual instrumentalization of public and private laws.This entails predicting the outcomes of negating the validity of a juristic act in industrial regulatory scenarios and assessing these outcomes within the framework of public and private regulatory instruments.

The Impact of SO_(2)Emission Trading Policy on Enterprise Performance

We used the latest database of Chinese industrial enterprises to make an empirical test of the relationship between the SO_(2)emissions trading pilot(ETP)policy implemented in 2007 and enterprise performance based on a difference-in-difference(DID)method since the ETP policy tends to be a“quasi-natural experiment.”The empirical results show that the ETP policy has a significant promotion effect on enterprise performance,which provides evidence supporting the“Porter hypothesis”in China.Heterogeneous regression results show that ETP policies play a vital role in promoting development in heavily polluting industries,state-owned enterprises,and central regions.The test results of the mechanism demonstrate that the ETP policy has two mechanisms to affect enterprise performance:“improving the total factor productivity of the enterprise”and“increasing the extra cost of the enterprise.”There are two policy implications of our research:first,government departments should strive to explore and implement relevant market-based environmental regulations and policies;second,government departments should vigorously support small and medium-sized enterprises and backward areas in the west while focusing on heavily polluting industries and making the best use of environmental regulations in pollution control,which are the key points for China to win the defense of the blue sky.

个人养老金税收优惠政策何以可为?——来自美国、德国和澳大利亚的经验与启示

发展个人养老金是健全养老保险体系和积极应对人口老龄化挑战的重要举措,而灵活高效的税收优惠政策则是推动个人养老金制度高质量发展的关键要素。虽然近年来我国制定了个人养老金税收优惠政策,但是仍存在诸多问题,严重掣肘个人养老金制度的高质量发展。基于文献研究法、比较分析法对美国、德国和澳大利亚等典型国家个人养老金税收优惠政策的主要实践、基本特征、实施效果以及对中国的启示等重要问题进行深入探讨。研究发现,经过数十年的积极探索,美国、德国和澳大利亚逐步建立了灵活高效的个人养老金税收优惠政策,主要体现在激励方式灵活多样、政策制定立法先行、政策调整循序渐进、关注低收入群体的需求以及鼓励以家庭为参保对象等五个方面,有效推动了其个人养老金制度的发展与成熟。不过,这些典型国家个人养老金税收优惠政策在取得瞩目成就的同时,仍然面临对低收入群体的吸引力不足等现实困境。结合典型国家的有益经验和深刻教训,对我国个人养老金税收优惠政策存在的主要问题进行剖析,并提出更具针对性的见解,认为我国个人养老金税收优惠政策应当从四个方面作出改进:一是引入多种税收优惠模式,增强政策的吸引力;二是凸显税收优惠政策的精准性,助推优惠资源向低收入群体倾斜;三是提升税收优惠政策的灵活性,鼓励个人合理配置税收优惠额度;四是税收优惠政策应支持以家庭形式参保。