Verifying Environmental Kuznets curve in China: Based on panel data of cities

Abstract

This paper estimates the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) by using panel data of 284 cities of China in 2003–2008. The results show that the relationship between the waste water emissions per capita and GDP per capita is an inverted N-shaped curve, which is sulfur dioxide emissions per capita, but for soot it is an inverted U-shaped curve. In addition, this paper also considers the influence of some factors on pollution emissions except GDP per capita, such as scale of enterprises, foreign economic, scientific and educational investment, population density, input in environmental governance and industry structure. The sample cities are in the decrease phase of the curve during the study period on average, it means that emissions decrease with economic growth. However, EKC is only a description of the empirical data rather than the prediction tools, economic growth will not automatically solve the environmental problems. If the environment supervision is relaxed, the pollution is still likely to rebound.