To investigate the effect of improved property rights and, in particular, village democracy under China’s Collective Forest Tenure Reform (Tenure Reform) on household forestry investments, we estimate both tobit models and the more general Cragg models for farmers’ labor and monetary inputs into forestry, using survey data of 652 households from the southern collective forest region of China. The results reveal that the improved forestland use and disposition rights had a significant effect on household investments in forestry, while the beneficiary right did not. In addition, the results suggest that village democracy had a positive effect on households’ forestry investments. More importantly, we find that village democracy was able to significantly strengthen the investment incentive effect of the improved property rights under the Tenure Reform. These effects may be explained by the fact that village democracy improved households’ perception, cognition, and, subsequently, confidence toward, in particular, the use and disposition rights of the forests entitled to them. Therefore, the findings suggest that to increase the investment incentives of the Tenure Reform further, governments could strengthen the bundle of households’ use and disposition rights, as well as their related policies. Also, our findings indicate that governments could significantly improve the performance of public policies by effectively employing democratic procedures in the process of policy implementation.

Environmental awareness and behavior play a crucial role in the improvement of the environment. Five dimensions of environmental awareness are considered here including environmental values, environmental knowledge, environmental responsibility, environmental ability and environmental concern while we also distinguish between private and public environmental behaviors. Based on data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2003, 2010 and 2021, this research investigated changes in Chinese residents’ environmental awareness and environmental behavior and the relationship between them. The relevant empirical methods were the MV-Probit model, the Poisson model and a mediating effect model. The results are as follows: (1) From 2003 to 2021, environmental awareness of the public has improved significantly. Among them, environmental values, environmental knowledge and environmental concern have increased by 24.5%, 12.6% and 12.77%, respectively, while environmental capacity has decreased by 7.27% from 2010 to 2021. The eastern region of China has the highest score of environmental awareness, while the western region has the lowest one. (2) From 2003 to 2021, the public’s green consumption behavior changed from more than half of the public never consuming green products in 2003 to nearly 75% always or often consuming green products in 2021. Increases in recycling were also found over time. However, the participation rate in public environmental behavior declined. In 2021, environmental behaviors were lowest in the eastern region and highest in the western region. (3) Environmental responsibility, environmental concern and environmental capacity direct and indirectly affect private and public environmental behaviors and the number of environmental behaviors through the willingness to protect the environment, which plays a semi-mediating role. Environmental knowledge only has a direct impact on private green consumption behavior. (4) There is a correlation between public and private environmental behaviors. Given the results of this study, a series of policy implications and recommendations are provided.

The implementation of China’s natural forest protection project (Protection Project) in 1998 changed households’ forestry production modes in project regions, and China’s new circular collective forest tenure reform (Tenure Reform) has been implemented since 2003 with the goal of motivating household forestry production and increasing household income from forests. Policymakers expect that Tenure Reform could also stimulate households to engage in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) production in Protection Project regions. However, only a few studies have investigated the effect of Tenure Reform on household NTFP production in Protection Project regions. To fill this gap, we built an integrative conceptual framework and estimated a corresponding structural equation model (SEM) using survey data from 932 households in Protection Project regions in southwestern China. In our research framework, there are four factors, including household characteristics, labour and social capital, forestland characteristics, and the Tenure Reform, affecting household NTFP production. The results substantiate that Tenure Reform has had a significant positive effect on household NTFP production. Additionally, household and forestland characteristics have promoted household NTFP production, but quantitatively less than Tenure Reform. This report can be used to inform the government that future investment in Tenure Reform still needs to be enhanced, and policy enforcement still needs to be strengthened.

Background: Global climate change is one of the major challenges facing the world today, and forests play a crucial role as significant carbon sinks and providers of ecosystem services in mitigating climate change and protecting the environment. China, as one of the largest developing countries globally, owns 60% of its forest resources collectively. Evaluating the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests not only helps assess the contribution of China’s forest resources to global climate change mitigation but also provides important evidence for formulating relevant policies and measures. Results: Over the past 30 years, the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China has shown an overall upward trend. Except for coastal provinces, southern collective forest areas, as well as some southwestern and northeastern regions, have the advantage of lower carbon sequestration costs. Furthermore, LSTM network predictions indicate that the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China will continue to rise. By 2030, the average carbon sequestration cost of collective forests is projected to reach 125 CNY per ton(= 16.06 Euros/t). Additionally, there is spatial correlation in the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests. Timber production, labor costs, and labor prices have negative spatial spillover effects on carbon sequestration costs, while land opportunity costs, forest accumulation, and rural resident consumption have positive spatial spillover effects. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate regional disparities in the spatial distribution of carbon sequestration costs of collective forests, with an undeniable upward trend in future cost growth. It is essential to focus on areas with lower carbon sequestration costs and formulate targeted carbon sink economic policies and management measures to maximize the carbon sequestration potential of collective forests and promote the sustainable development of forestry.