Achieving global peaking of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as early as possible is a common goal for all countries. However, CO2 emissions in the northwest China still show a rapid growth trend. Thus, we used the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) model to build three scenarios to investigate the peak of CO2 emissions and reduction pathways in five northwestern provinces of China. The results show that: 1) the CO2 emissions of five northwestern provinces under the baseline, the policy, and the green scenarios will peak in 2035 (1663.46 × 106 tonnes), 2031 (1405.00 × 106 tonnes), and 2027 (1273.96 × 106 tonnes), respectively. 2) The CO2 emissions of all provinces, except Qinghai, will not peak before 2030 in the baseline scenario. Under the policy and green scenarios, each province will achieve the peak of CO2 emissions by 2030. 3) The CO2 emissions from agriculture, transportation, and other sectors will peak before 2030 under the baseline scenario. The CO2 emissions from construction will peak before 2030 in policy scenario. The industry and commerce will peak before 2030 in green scenario. 4) The emission reduction effect indicates that CO2 emissions from 2020 to 2040 will be reduced by 4137.70 × 106 tonnes in the policy scenario and 7201.46 × 106 tonnes in the green scenario. The industrial coal and thermal power are the sectors with the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions. Accelerating the restructuring of industries and energy structures and improving technologies to reduce energy intensity can promote the achievement of the peak in CO2 emissions by 2030.

Based on the complex geographical environment of river basins and the top-down environmental management system, China has launched the characteristic river chief system. Taking the Yellow River basin as an example, this study focuses on the implementation of the river chief system in the Yellow River basin, and investigates whether the river chief system can help improve the water environmental quality in the Yellow River basin. This study collected the data of water quality categories of the river basin, main stream and main tributaries and the sections of the Yellow River basin with major pollution indicators exceeding the standard since the implementation of the river chief system in various provinces of the Yellow River basin, in order to analyze whether the river chief system has promoted the improvement of water environmental quality in the Yellow River basin, and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the river chief system from the aspects of the construction of the river chief system norms and institutional Settings. The study found that, firstly, the river chief system effectively improved the water environmental quality of the Yellow River basin. Secondly, the river chief system integrates the environmental power in the basin and changes the traditional fragmented management mode. Thirdly, the system of river chief has some shortcomings in the management of trans-provincial rivers and external supervision, and lacks the long-term effect of the system. Finally, this study puts forward some suggestions on how to improve the river chief system, especially how to make the river chief system more long-term.

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