Green real estate is a new form of development that seeks to reduce the negative impact of real estate construction on the environment and society. It offers various forms of environmental and social utility and also bears higher construction costs. Residents’ satisfaction and willingness to pay (WTP) are therefore of great significance for the progress of green real estate. However, residents’ satisfaction with green residential areas and its correlation with WTP has been insufficiently researched. This study draws on face-to-face interviews conducted with 614 households in Qingtangwan (an exemplary green real estate project in Beijing) to extract information about residents’ satisfaction and WTP. With regard to satisfaction, it identifies five main components, specifically the operation and maintenance of residential areas, indoor and outdoor comfort, building quality, sustainable community attachment, and public facility accessibility (this last category had lower satisfaction). In terms of WTP, residents’ mean WTP was found to be CHY 204.23 per month, which is approximately USD 31.19. In addition to the bid value, the indoor and outdoor comfort, building quality, sense of community, and public facility accessibility were all found to be significantly related to residents’ WTP. Relevant policy recommendations for promoting this development mode included the establishment of public funds, the regular collection and disclosure of information about residents’ satisfaction, phased rent increases, and the enhancement of community cultural construction.

This study aims to evaluate the preferences of Shanghai residents for four key attributes of carbon tax policies via the choice-based conjoint analysis method, with the goal of understanding the potential application of carbon tax policies in China. The findings indicate that the most critical concern for Shanghai residents is the annual cost of the ca trbonax (48.87%), followed by policy transparency (24.72%), revenue allocation (16.68%), and policy implementers (9.73%). The average willingness to pay is CNY 1435.28 annually, indicating a relatively high acceptance of carbon tax policies. Furthermore, increasing public awareness of carbon tax policies significantly enhances willingness to pay, which in turn helps increase tax revenue and promotes the development of low-carbon technologies. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers on carbon tax implementation, contributing to China’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

A constant supply of novel ideas and contributions from all economic sectors is required to further the sustainable development of cities. Therefore, there is a growing need for well -educated graduates to enter metropolitan job markets. As urban environments and culture have been shown to affect a graduates' eventual carrier choice and trajectory, governments often seek to change their local environments to attract graduates who can help efficiently allocate and utilize a city's often-limited environmental budgets. In this study, the conjoint analysis method was employed to explore the effects of four environmental attributes (water pollution, air pollution, littering, and green area) on graduate employment preferences. Water pollution was shown to have the greatest effect on graduate preferences (43.6%), followed by air Pollution (34.1%), littering (20.7%), and green area (1.6%). According to this ranking of importance, cities could improve their environmental attributes to maximize the attraction of Northeast graduates. Moreover, this study applied the Baidu index (a big data sharing platform) to improve the attribute selection process of the conjoint analysis method. The improvement reduced the cost of the conjoint analysis method and enhanced its objectivity.

This study investigates the impact of particle size in fly ash derived from different coal sources on the performance of fly ash–cement systems. Utilizing a newly developed flotation classification method, physical properties of fly ash were examined to reveal variations among different particle sizes and coal sources. Thermal analysis was employed to analyze the calcium hydroxide content’s effect on the cement system, while selective dissolution methods were used to assess reaction rates. XRD analysis confirmed particle size effects. Results indicate that flotation classification optimizes the properties of fly ash, enhancing activity and flow values, where some of the ash fractions exhibit overall superior properties. The use of high-volume fly ash (50% fly ash replacement) promotes continued pozzolanic reactions, especially with smaller particle sizes. Reaction rates decrease with larger particle sizes, emphasizing the importance of classification. XRD analysis further supports these findings, revealing that smaller particle sizes favor cement hydration and pozzolanic reactions. Overall, this study provides insights into optimizing fly ash properties for enhanced concrete performance.

The issue of carbon emissions in China’s interprovincial border regions is crucial for achieving the nation’s carbon peaking and neutrality goals. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of carbon emissions in China’s interprovincial border counties from 2005 to 2017, identify their key influencing factors using spatial econometric models, and elucidate the associated spatial spillover effects. Within the STIRPAT model framework and using GIS as a platform, datasets of county-level carbon emissions and spatial weight matrices for China’s interprovincial border areas were analyzed. Maps and spatial data analysis methods were employed to identify spatiotemporal patterns of carbon emissions in these regions. Additionally, the spatial panel Durbin model was utilized to uncover the driving mechanisms of key controlling factors. The findings indicate that although border counties contribute only marginally to China’s total emissions, they exhibit stronger growth compared to non-border counties. Notably, the average emissions in eastern border regions are comparable to the combined emissions of central and western regions. Spatial analysis reveals higher emissions in the north and east, with a trend of bidirectional expansion. While overall disparities are decreasing, they remain significant. High-high (HH) and low-low (LL) clusters demonstrate significant positive spatial correlation. Carbon emissions in border counties show substantial positive spatial spillover effects. Various factors influence emissions differently: population tends to suppress local emissions, while economic growth increases emissions both locally and in neighboring areas. Technological advancement reduces emissions in both local and adjacent regions, and industrial structure plays a driving role. This research provides novel insights into the carbon emission dynamics of border regions and offers a scientific basis for formulating differentiated emission reduction policies.

Carbon tax policies (CTP) are globally acknowledged for curbing energy consumption and emissions. Despite global adoption, China's reluctance to embrace a carbon tax, possibly due to effectiveness and public acceptance concerns, is notable. This study employs Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis to gauge Shanghai residents' preferences on four CTP attributes. Among Shanghai's populace, the annual cost of the carbon tax policy ranks highest (48.87%), followed by implementation transparency (24.72%), revenue utilization (16.68%), and policy implementers (9.73%). Notably, Shanghai residents exhibit an average annual willingness to pay of 1435.28 CNY, indicating increased acceptance. Enhanced public awareness of carbon tax policies significantly boosts willingness to pay, augmenting carbon tax revenues and fostering low-carbon technology development. Additionally, transparency improvements in carbon tax policy yield notable increases in willingness to pay, underscoring the link between understanding CTP and its perceived importance. These findings highlight the potential of carbon tax policies in advancing sustainability and transitioning to low-carbon economies.