Government Functions of Haze Control

Abstract

Behind China’s haze pollution problem is the unsustainability of China’s economic development model. The imperfect laws and regulations on haze control and the establishment of institutions in China also reflect the lack of the haze control ability of the Chinese government. For the atmosphere, a public good, the frequent occurrence of haze indicates that the market has failed, and no one pays for the haze. Under various circumstances, only the government functions can be used for haze control. Through the administrative and social functions of the government, especially the economic functions, we can find a suitable path for haze control in China. This paper reviews the process of haze control in London and proposes that the government should give full play to its role in this field when the market fails in the face of atmospheric public goods.