Climate resilience is essential to mitigate extreme weather impacts. This study examines the resilience of Chinese cities and its mechanisms through the dynamic responses of green total factor productivity (GTFP) to extreme temperature shocks. Using panel data of 272 cities from 2002 to 2021, we first construct GTFP based on the biennial non-radial Luenberger productivity index (BLPI). We then employ a two-way fixed effects model and a piecewise linear long-difference model to identify the short- and long-term effects of extreme temperatures on GTFP, where the divergence between these effects captures the climate resilience. The BLPI framework further allows a decomposition into single-factor productivities, enabling mechanism analyses of how specific production factors respond to climatic stress. The results show that, extreme temperatures significantly reduce GTFP in the short term, but not in the long run, indicating strengthened climate resilience over time. Mechanism analysis reveals that extreme heat enhances digital productivity, while extreme cold increases capital productivity, suggesting digital upgrading as an adaptation to heat stress and capital deepening as a response to cold stress. Policy and spatial heterogeneity reveal distinct resilience patterns. Broadband pilot cities adapt better to heat stress, low-carbon pilot cities resist cold stress more effectively. Regionally, southern cities show stronger heat adaptation, northern cities greater cold resilience, and eastern regions recover faster than the central and west. These findings highlight how digital transformation and factor reallocation jointly enhance urban climate resilience.

Digital and green transitions in industries continue to attract global attention. However, scholarly views diverge on how industrial digital behavior (IDB) influences the intensity of corporate carbon emissions (CCE). This study draws on microlevel firm data to examine the role of IDB in shaping emission outcomes. It measures IDB from patent citation data, thus uncovering the mediating role of diverse green patent types and the moderating role of external conditions through the technology–organization–environment framework. In doing so, this work pioneers an analysis of the heterogeneous impacts of different categories of digital technologies on CCE. Several key conclusions are drawn. First, IDB exerts a significantly negative effect on CCE. Second, green innovation serves as a key mediator. Third, the emission-reduction effects of IDB are strengthened by technological, organizational, and environmental factors, while financial coordination emerges as particularly significant. Finally, different digital technologies exhibit heterogeneous impacts on CCE. Notably, the reduction effects are more evident in high-tech industries and in firms located in the eastern and western regions than in other configurations. On this basis, this study proposes policy recommendations to enhance the effect of IDB on CCE from the perspectives of promoting green innovation; strengthening technological, organizational, and environmental factors; and coordinating differences in digital technologies, industries, and regions.

This study investigates the technical and economic feasibility of an integrated system combining carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration and seasonal blue hydrogen (H₂) storage in depleted gas fields. A fully coupled reservoir simulation model was developed using CMG-GEM, calibrated with realistic geological and thermodynamic parameters, to simulate sequential CO₂ injection and cyclic H₂ injection–withdrawal operations over a 30-year period. Three cases with varying CO₂ injection rates were evaluated alongside different H₂ pre-injection strategies and seasonal injection–production schemes. Results reveal that optimal well placement at the anticline crest significantly enhances CO₂ cushion gas distribution and H₂ circulation performance. Additionally, higher cushion gas injection volumes create a sufficient isolation zone between reservoir water and the stored H₂ that helps in reducing water production and improve hydrogen purity (P_H₂). However, if not optimized properly, it can cause an increase in CO₂ breakthrough, leading to lower hydrogen recovery factors (RF_H₂). High H₂ production rates associated with shorter production durations were found to intensify geomechanical instability, water coning, and CO₂–H₂ mixing, resulting in unstable H₂ cycling operations, increased water production, and reduced P_H₂ and RF_H₂. The economic analyses showed that increasing the cushion gas volumes improves profit by significantly lowering the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen Storage (LCOHs) and increasing Net Present Value (NPV), in particular, the balanced H₂ circulation scheme (6/6) delivers the best results. H₂ pre-injection over six or twelve months was found to be economically unfeasible compared to not implementing pre-injection, as it led to higher LCOHs and lower NPV. Carbon credits play a critical role in project viability, with increased credit prices effectively offsetting capital and operational costs, thereby improving profitability. Moreover, it shows that the integrated system is profitable when the electricity price is below 0.11 $/kWh. Regional differences in electricity costs suggest that choosing cheaper areas can improve project viability.

The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) installations is accelerating China’s low-carbon transition, yet large-scale deployment in arid ecosystems alters soil processes and biogeochemical balance. However, how different PV configurations influence soil nutrient dynamics and ecological stoichiometry remains poorly understood. We compared three PV configurations—under-module fixed-axis (UFPV), inter-module fixed-axis (IFPV), and single-axis tracking (ITPV)—with natural controls in the Talatan desert PV park on the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Fixed-axis systems caused pronounced soil nutrient depletion, whereas the single-axis tracking system maintained nutrient levels comparable to natural controls. Baseline nutrient heterogeneity was primarily governed by abiotic factors such as soil texture and moisture, while PV systems indirectly modulated these drivers through microclimatic and vegetative feedbacks. Structural modeling revealed that fixed-axis systems induced a degradation cascade by impairing soil physical integrity, whereas the tracking system maintained soil–vegetation stability and mitigated negative feedbacks. Available nutrients and their stoichiometric ratios were more sensitive to these modulations than total stocks, suggesting their value as early-warning indicators of ecosystem stress. These findings demonstrate that the energy–ecosystem trade-off is not inevitable but largely determined by engineering design. Prioritizing single-axis tracking systems and integrating ecological restoration can enhance the co-benefits of renewable energy production and ecosystem resilience in arid lands.

Reducing the environmental impact of building energy consumption is a global priority, particularly given that air conditioning systems account for up to one-third of worldwide energy demand. One effective strategy for enhancing building energy efficiency is the incorporation of materials with advanced thermal properties into building envelopes. In this context, silica aerogel (SA), characterized by its extremely low thermal conductivity, offers significant potential to reduce heating and cooling loads in both hot and cold climates. This study evaluates a novel cementitious mortar incorporating SA and industrial by-products, applied through 3D additive manufacturing. A conventional concrete block house was modeled and compared to a version constructed with SA-based mortar using DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus simulations for an extreme hot-dry climate. Results show that 3D-printed walls with SA reduce thermal energy demand by 42–44%, with the greatest impact on heating. Annual HVAC energy consumption decreases by up to 51%, lowering the specific demand to 118 kWh/m² below the regional average. This translates into electricity cost savings of up to 54% under a basic tariff. Furthermore, CO₂ emissions are reduced by 33%, equivalent to 63 kg CO₂/m² annually. The novelty of this research lies in combining an aerogel-based insulating mortar with additive manufacturing technology (3D printing), evaluated under severe hot-dry conditions. Findings highlight its potential to improve energy performance and sustainability in residential buildings located in arid regions.

Building envelope design features and orientation significantly influence energy demand and thermal comfort in residential buildings, particularly in hot climates. While previous studies have often optimized building orientation together with envelope features, real-world urban conditions frequently impose fixed orientations that limit such flexibility. This study introduces a data-driven, multi-objective framework that treats orientation as a fixed constraint and systematically adapts envelope thermal and geometrical features, accordingly, resulting in the proposed Adaptive Envelope Feature–Orientation (AEF-O) approach. The framework integrates empirically validated energy simulation with multi-objective optimization to generate a comprehensive dataset of 11,890 design scenarios for a representative residential building archetype. Regression-based global sensitivity analysis, supported by multiple linear regression, is employed to quantify the relative influence of envelope design features on cooling load and thermal discomfort. The results indicate that the thermal properties of walls and roofs exhibit substantially higher standardized sensitivity indices than geometrical features, demonstrating their dominant relative influence within the explored building type. Orientation-specific regression models, validated using 10-fold cross-validation, achieve coefficients of determination (R²) of up to 0.97, capturing the relationship between sensitive envelope features and cooling demand. Based on these models, orientation-tailored envelope benchmarks are derived, achieving reductions of 30–40% in cooling loads and up to a 28% increase in comfort hours compared to the baseline configuration. The findings highlight the importance of adaptive façade design strategies that respond to orientation constraints, offering a practical and flexible pathway toward energy-efficient residential buildings in hot climates.