Publications(selected)

2026

• Liu, W., Duan, J., Min, X. et al. Cropland edge management enhances the adaptability of cropland productivity to extremely dry events. Nat Food 7, 589–600 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-026-01366-5 [IF:21.2]

• Elmqvist, T., Anderson, P., Andersson, E., Castán Broto, V., Liu, T., McPhearson, T., Prakash, A., Raymond, C., Romero-Lankao, P., Subramanian, S. M., & Zhang, X. (2026). Urban sustainability science: From adaptation to regeneration on the road to 2050. npj Urban Sustainability, 6, Article 30. [IF: 8.8]

• Wang, S., Liang, J., Zhang, X., Liu, K., Feng, K., Hubacek, K., Yuan, W., & Fang, C. (2026). Trade-driven redistribution of biomass appropriation intensifies ecological inequalities in Eurasian low- and middle-income countries. Science Bulletin, 71(6), 1486–1497. [IF: 21.1]

• Zhao, Z., Wen, L., Li, K., Kong, X., & Zhang, X.* (2026). Environmental risk and burden inequality intensified by changes in cultivated land patterns. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 225, Article 108604. [IF: 10.9]

 

2025​

• Xiao, Y., Xue, M., & Zhang, X.* (2025). Synergistic sectoral actions can accelerate carbon reduction in consumption-intensive regions. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 29(5), 1718–1735. [IF: 5.4]

• Hu, G., Li, X., Liu, X., Wang, S., Zhang, X.*, Shi, X., Bai, X., & Hubacek, K. (2025). Mitigating the ripple effects of urbanization on farmland productivity and ecological security through inclusive urbanization strategies. npj Urban Sustainability, 5, Article 12. [IF: 8.8]

• Hao, X., Tian, T., Li, K., Zhang, X. *, & Dong, L. (2025). Unpacking the decision-making evolution mechanism of governance actors towards smart municipal solid waste management: An insight from game approach. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. [IF: 13.3]

• Zhang, Z., Zhang, X., Wang, Y., et al. (2025). A dual-driven fusion model of evaluating the performance and carbon emissions for recycled waste pavement. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 212. [IF: 10.9]

• Sheng, X., Zhang, X., Huang, Y., & Zhou, X. (2025). Going green for Eco or Ego? A meta-analysis of the comparative effects of environmental appeals and personal appeals on pro-environmental outcomes. Ecological Economics, 108639.

 

2024

• Chen, X., Yu, L., Li, Y., Liu, J., Peng, D., Zhang, X., Fang, C., & Gong, P. (2024). China’s ongoing rural to urban transformation benefits the population but is not evenly spread. Communications Earth & Environment. [IF: 8.9]

• Hao, X., Dong, L., Qian, X., Benjamin, S., Wang, H., Chen, P., Wang, X., Ma, W., Li, J., Tong, X., & Zhang, X*. (2024). Characterizing the polycentricity in waste governance. npj Urban Sustainability, 4, Article 42. [IF: 8.8]

• Liu, Y., Han, B., Jiang, C. Q., Zhang, X. *, et al. (2024). Improving water efficiency is more effective in mitigating water stress than water transfer in Chinese cities. iScience, 27(3), Article 109195. [IF: 4.1]

• Zhang, X.*, & Huang, Y. (2024). The key to sustainability science: From “homo economicus man” to “eco economic man”. In Handbook of Sustainability Science. Edward Elgar Publishing. [Book chapter]

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Others

• Satellite monitoring of shrinking cities on the globe and containment solutions.                                                                                                                 Zhai, W., Jiang, Z., Meng, X., Zhang, X*., Zhao, M. & Long, Y*., 17  Jun 2022, In: iScience. 25, 6, 104411.

• ​Urbanization can benefit agricultural production with large-scale farming in China.                                                                                                       Wang, S#., Bai, X#., Zhang, X#., Reis, S., Chen, D., Xu, J. & Gu, B., Mar 2021, In: Nature Food. 2, 3, p. 183-191

• ​​Urbanization in the Anthropocene: inaugural npj Urban Sustainability.                                                                                                                                     Elmqvist, T., Acuto, M., Anderson, P., Larsen, L., McPhearson, T. & Zhang, X., 2021, In: npj Urban Sustainability. 1, 7.

• ​A deep learning model for short-term power load and probability density forecasting.                                                                                                           Guo, Z., Zhou, K., Zhang, X. & Yang, S., 1 Oct 2018, In: Energy. 160, p. 1186-1200

• The China Carbon Watch (CCW) system: A rapid accounting of household carbon emissions in China at the provincial level

       Du, M., Zhang, X*., Xia, L., Cao, L., Zhang, Z., Zhang, L., Zheng, H., & 1 others, Mar 2022, In: Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews. 155, 111825.

• Urbanization can help reduce income inequality

       Wan, G., Zhang, X*. & Zhao, M., 2022, In: npj Urban Sustainability. 2, 1.

• Four steps to food security for swelling cities

       Gu, B., Zhang, X., Bai, X., Fu, B. & Chen, D., 7 Feb 2019, In: Nature. 566, 7742, p. 31-33

• Emissions trading system (ETS) implementation and its collaborative governance effects on air pollution: The China story

       Yan, Y., Zhang, X*., Zhang, J. & Li, K., Mar 2020, In: Energy Policy. 138, 111282.

• Carbon emission of global construction sector

       Huang, L., Krigsvoll, G., Johansen, F., Liu, Y. & Zhang, X., Jan 2018, In: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 81, p. 1906-1916​​

• High-resolution accounting of urban emissions in China

       Cai, B., Liu, H., Zhang, X*., Pan, H., Zhao, M., Zheng, T., Nie, J., & 2 others, 1 Nov 2022, In: Applied Energy. 325, 119896.​

• Does China emission trading scheme reduce marginal abatement cost? A perspective of allowance allocation alternatives

       Peng, H., Cui, J. & Zhang, X*., Jul 2022, In: Sustainable Production and Consumption. 32, p. 690-699​