This study investigates the relationships between infrastructure development, human development index (HDI), and CO2 emissions in China. Infrastructure has played an essential role in achieving social and economic developmental goals in China, but environmental pollution has significantly increased in the country in the last two decades. Our analysis uses time series data from 1990 to 2021 and quantile regressions, and we find that infrastructure has positive and statistically significant relationships with HDI, CO2 emissions, and GDP in all quantiles. Recent infrastructure upgrades improve living standards and increase HDI but damage the environment, and infrastructure is the main source of CO2 emissions in the country. Therefore, the government should invest in sustainable infrastructure to mitigate CO2 emissions. The government may consider infrastructure options such as low carbon transportation, including railway infrastructure, urban metros, and light rail.

Illegal logging has caused serious damage to the global forest environment. China, Japan, India and South Korea have been criticized for their imports of illegal timber. Based on a trade balance analysis method, this paper evaluates the imports of illegal timber of China, Japan, India and South Korea. The results show that China has serious illegal timber imports with the Republic of Congo, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Laos, Brazil and Malaysia. India has serious illegal timber imports with Brazil and Papua New Guinea. Japan has serious illegal timber imports with the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. South Korea has serious illegal timber imports with Malaysia. In order to control the imports of illegal timber, there is a need to further strengthen international cooperation and domestic legislation, enhance the protection and cultivation of forest resources and reduce dependence on imported timber.

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