Effects of industrial green total factor energy efficiency on haze abatement: A spatial econometric analysis based on China's 272 cities.

Abstract

Environmental issues represented by haze pollution have become the focus of all sectors of society. Industrial activities, especially industrial energy consumption play an important role in it. After the energy consumption of provincial industrial sectors is decomposed into urban industrial sectors through nighttime light data, this study measures the industrial green total factor energy efficiency (IGTFEE) of Chinese cities from 2003 to 2017, and the haze abatement effect of IGTFEE is investigated from the perspective of spatial correlation. The results show that China's haze pollution and IGTFEE present a positive spatial cluster. Additionally, China's haze pollution has obvious path dependence that shows a monotonous decreasing trend as the aggravation of haze pollution. Meanwhile, although haze pollution shows a serious leakage effect, it plays a warning role in haze control in surrounding areas. This effect is stronger in the most severely polluted areas that have higher economic levels. Not only does the improvement of IGTFEE have a positive effect on local haze abatement but can control haze pollution in spatially related areas through spillover effects and spatial feedback effects. However, the effects are significantly heterogeneous and asymmetric across quantiles, where IGTFEE has a marginal diminishing distribution on haze abatement at the middle and low quantiles, but the haze pollution has intensified at the high quantiles due to the energy rebound effect. The results also reveal that haze abatement conforms to the spatial EKC hypothesis in China. Meanwhile, industrial agglomeration, environmental regulations, and industrial upgrading are vital drivers for haze abatement.