The objective of this study is to analyze how low-carbon technology imports such as wind turbines, solar panels, carbon capture equipment, and biomass systems from China affect Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries’ energy poverty. Additionally, we analyze the role of financial development, deliberative democracy, economic complexity, human development, and telecommunications infrastructure on energy poverty in BRI countries. We use 69 countries from Belt and Road initiative countries and a sample period from 2000 to 2019. We classify these countries according to the IMF classification of advanced, emerging and low-income developing countries. We employ the instrumental variable generalized method of moments (IV-GMM) approach as the main technique to take care of the endogeneity concerns inherent in the model, as well as a robust quantile-based technique called the method of moments quantile regression estimator (MMQREG). Our results reveal that low-carbon technology trade from China does not significantly alleviate energy poverty in the BRI countries. Financial development increases energy poverty while deliberative democracy decreases it. Economic complexity, as well as human development, negatively affects energy poverty, while telecommunications infrastructure does not affect energy poverty significantly. Based on the results, policy implications are provided.

Adaptation constitutes a critical strategy for mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change. Enhancing farmers' adaptation behaviors is essential for strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems. This study focuses on tea farmers and develops a conceptual framework for climate change adaptation behavior decision-making by integrating protection motivation theory, theory of planned behavior, and farmer behavior theory. Utilizing field survey data from 313 tea farmers in Fujian Province, China, a structural equation model was employed to empirically analyze the pathways and relative strength of psychological factors influencing tea farmers' adaptation behavior decisions. The findings indicate that: (1) In response to climate change impacts, 58.8% of tea farmers have implemented adaptive measures, whereas 41.2% have undertaken no action; (2) Both risk perception and adaptability perception exert significantly positive influences on tea farmers' climate change adaptation behaviors, indicating that perception underpins adaptation behavior occurrence, with adaptability perception demonstrating a stronger effect on behavioral decisions; (3) Communication and learning with neighbors, relatives, friends, and government officials positively facilitate the adoption of adaptive measures, whereas established behavioral habits impede behavioral adjustment. Based on these results, this study proposes policy recommendations centered on enhancing perceptual capabilities, improving social learning mechanisms, and fostering adaptive practices, aimed at strengthening tea farmers' capacity and willingness to implement climate change adaptation actions.