PONE-D-23-37224Studying regional low-carbon development: a case study of Sichuan Province in ChinaPLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Sun,

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Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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This work was supported by National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 20XJY005); Research Center of Sichuan Tourism Development, a Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No. LY21-03); Li Bing Research Center, which is the Key Research Base of Sichuan Social Science (No. LBYJ2021-006); Research Center of Tuojiang River Basin High-quality Development, a Key Research Base of Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No. TJGZL2021-14), Research Center of Sichuan County Economic Development, a Key Research Base of Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No.XY2021002).

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This work was supported by National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 20XJY005); Research Center of Sichuan Tourism Development, a Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No. LY21-03); Li Bing Research Center, which is the Key Research Base of Sichuan Social Science (No.LBYJ2021-006); Research Center of Tuojiang River Basin High-quality Development, a Key Research Base of Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No. TJGZL2021-14), Research Center of Sichuan County Economic Development, a Key Research Base of Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No.XY2021002).The authors would also like to express their greatest thanks to the editor and anonymous referees for their helpful comments and suggestions. However, the responsibility for the views expressed as well as any errors or omissions is borne by ours.

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This work was supported by National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 20XJY005); Research Center of Sichuan Tourism Development, a Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No. LY21-03); Li Bing Research Center, which is the Key Research Base of Sichuan Social Science (No. LBYJ2021-006); Research Center of Tuojiang River Basin High-quality Development, a Key Research Base of Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No. TJGZL2021-14), Research Center of Sichuan County Economic Development, a Key Research Base of Social Sciences in Sichuan Province (No.XY2021002).

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

Reviewer #3: No

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: No

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

Reviewer #3: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: I have reviewed the manuscript entitled “ Studying regional low-carbon development: a case study of Sichuan Province in China”. The manuscript investigates low-carbon development in Sichuan, China, analyzing the relationship between energy consumption, carbon emissions, and economic growth. Using the Tapio decoupling indicator and LMDI, it reveals a relative decoupling in the region and identifies population and economic growth as key drivers, with energy intensity and industrial structure acting as constraints.

The manuscript's topic is interesting, well-written, and provides a valuable reference for the field. However, before publication, it needs some modification. Therefore, I recommend revisions, with below specific comments:

State of art shall be mentioned more clearly

Practical utilization should be discussed further at the end of discussion section

Limitation of the research shall be acknowledged

Update introduction get insight with the available resources and perspective of urban climates for example: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.104459 ; Urban Climate 51, 101637 ;

Also Consider incorporating insights from sources https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1374.14 and https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1374.11 ; Land 12 (8), 1623 ; to acknowledge the various benefits of green spaces relevant to this study.

Improve the figures quality e.g., figure 5,7,…

Number of references is low;

Re-organize the manuscript. I suggest 1. Introduction 2 methods 3 results 4 discussion (include practical utilization and limitations) 5 conclusion

Reviewer #2: The manuscript attempts to examine the relationship between energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth using a variety of statistical methods. The paper is well structured and methodologically sound. However, it lacks innovation in some aspects. Therefore, it is necessary for the manuscript to be improved before publication, especially in the introduction, discussion and practical application sections of the paper. I suggest a major revision.

Specific comments:

(1) Abstract section: Lines 16 to 19. it is difficult to understand the status in different periods via the expression. Please do not express such results in subordinate clauses

(2) In the introduction section, the authors describe a lot of research background, especially the presentation of some data. However, I would have preferred to see the significance of the study, such as the authors' statement that it is the first study and fill a research gap.

(3) Line 88. what does OECD mean?

(4) All the tables and figures, please add the units if it is needed.

(5) Discussion section, I would like to see the theoretical implications of the paper. For instance, comparisons and enhancements with related studies.

(6) This paper has yet to be polished.

(7) Line 272. It is strange that Fig.2 does not show any GDP information. I find that in Figure 3, but the most key point is, why the GDP curve has a great decrease in 2020? it is so strange. please also check the curve of cabon emission.

Reviewer #3: The manuscript needs major revision due to its uncategorized and insufficient Introduction and Method section. Introduction needs more clear notice regarding the topic. Also, Method could be presented property.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Majid Amanibeni

Reviewer #2: No

Reviewer #3: No

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PONE-D-23-37224R1Studying regional low-carbon development: a case study of Sichuan Province in ChinaPLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Sun,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

Please submit your revised manuscript by May 16 2024 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript:

• A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'.
• A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'.
• An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'.

If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter.

If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols. Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols.

We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Mahdi Moudi, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Journal Requirements:

Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice.

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

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3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: No

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5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

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6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: The manuscript has been improved after the first round of revision. However, there is still room for further improvement:

- The conclusion should be shorter, preferably one paragraph, concise, and depict the broader message of the study.

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7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

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[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.

Studying regional low-carbon development: a case study of Sichuan Province in China

PONE-D-23-37224R2

Dear Dr. Sun,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

An invoice will be generated when your article is formally accepted. Please note, if your institution has a publishing partnership with PLOS and your article meets the relevant criteria, all or part of your publication costs will be covered. Please make sure your user information is up-to-date by logging into Editorial Manager at Editorial Manager® and clicking the ‘Update My Information' link at the top of the page. If you have any questions relating to publication charges, please contact our Author Billing department directly at authorbilling@plos.org.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org.

Kind regards,

Mahdi Moudi, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

**********

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

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5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

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6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: the manuscript is acceptable as the authors have incorporated with the comments and the manuscript has been improved significantly

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7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

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