Work

A Comprehensive Evaluation Model for Green Coking Enterprises: Framework Development with 124 Indicators and Practical Implementation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: As a linchpin of global energy conversion systems, the coking industry faces an imperative sustainable transition driven by tightening environmental regulations. The green development of coking enterprises is constrained by persistent heterogeneity across firms, exacerbated by the lack of a standardized enterprise-level evaluation framework—collectively impeding the industry’s green transition. This study established a comprehensive evaluation model for Green Coking Enterprises comprising 124 indicators, drawing on existing research, standards, and regulatory frameworks, and proposed the green coking concept. It covers seven core dimensions: infrastructure, management system, energy and resource inputs, environmental protection, products, by-products, and performance. Through a 2023 case analysis of the Ordos Etuoke Economic Development Zone—a strategic coking cluster positioned along China’s energy transition corridor—the applied framework revealed critical performance gaps. These gaps primarily manifested in three core dimensions: comparative disadvantages in resource consumption efficiency, deficiencies in environmental management systems, and lagging capabilities in deep processing of by-products. Accordingly, four improvement strategies closely aligned with these identified gaps are discussed. The development assessment model for coking enterprises constructed in this study provides a systematic methodology for evaluating the level of green transformation in such enterprises. It holds significant practical value for accurately identifying technical shortcomings, supporting management decision-making, and promoting the green upgrading of the coking industry.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su18178798

Authors: Xiaomin Zhang, Yanhua Wang, Qiang Feng, Jia Wu, Na Wu

Institutions: Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Renmin University of China

Language: English

Topic: Coal and Coke Industries Research

Subfield: Fuel Technology

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896