Pollution Reduction Effect Research Articles

Fiscal policy, green finance, and low carbon transformation nexus: a novel study unleashing the synergistic effects of carbon reduction and pollution in China.

Under the simultaneous demands of combating environmental pollution and decreased carbon emissions, it is critical to investigate the combined effect of agricultural contamination reduction and fiscal policy carbon reduction to support and promote green agriculture and low-carbon transformation. Based on provincial panel data of 2007 to 2020 in China, this paper employs the spatial Dubin model to empirically examine the pollution reduction and carbon reduction effects of fiscal policies supporting agriculture, as well as calculating the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon reduction. Our study's findings reveal that non-point source agricultural pollution and agricultural carbon emissions have a tendency of growing and subsequently reducing, such as increasing from 2007 to 2015 and decreasing from 2016 to 2020. Second, results demonstrate that agricultural carbon emissions and agricultural pollution have a positive geographical dependency in each province, and fiscal policies supporting agriculture have high-high and low-low spatial clustering features. Furthermore, fiscal policies that promote agriculture can lower local agricultural carbon emissions and pollution while also having a considerable beneficial spillover impact on neighboring provinces. According to the study findings, the fiscal policy for supporting agriculture has a negative pollution reduction impact and a positive synergistic effect, resulting in a synergistic effect of agricultural pollution reduction and carbon reduction. The outcomes of this study can serve to promote carbon-reduction measures and provide recommendations for future policy development.

Research on the air pollution reduction effect of winter clean heating policy

The international community is confronted with an urgent need to resolve the global climate crisis, which has emerged as a critical issue. China, in its capacity as a responsible major country, has proposed the “3060” goal and actively advocated for air pollution control. In northern China, a substantial quantity of coal is burned for heating in winter, leading to frequent air pollution, and seriously affecting people's health and quality of life. Clean heating is an important national livelihood strategy related to residents' heating and an essential manifestation of advancing ecological civilization construction. Based on panel data from 126 heating cities in the northern region from 2013 to 2020, this paper adopts the Difference-In-Difference (DID) model to investigate the effect and mechanism of the Winter Clean Heating Plan for Northern China on air pollution reduction. According to the research results, the policy has an abatement effect on northern region's air pollution emissions. The amount of air pollutant emissions has decreased by 17.3% since the policy's implementation. This policy has long-term effectiveness, which can become an effective measure for promoting air pollution reduction in the northern region. Secondly, economic factors, such as fiscal expenditure, and urban development factors, such as car ownership will have a driving effect on reducing air pollution, indicating that air pollution control is a systematic project that requires coordinated measures from all aspects. Thirdly, heterogeneity analysis indicates that the policy exerts a more substantial positive influence on air pollution control in Northwest China's cities and non-provincial capital cities. This indicates that cities should focus on implementing precise heating policies and not be “one size fits”. Finally, based on the theory of whole-process governance, this paper explores the indirect influence mechanism of the impact of the policy on air pollution reduction. By promoting energy structure transformation and promoting technological innovation, policy can indirectly improve the effectiveness of air pollution reduction. As an effective environmental regulation method, the policy can significantly reduce air pollution emissions in northern China, which is of great significance for the Chinese-style green modernization construction in this region.

Servitization of Manufacturing Industry Export Enterprises, Multinational Corporation GVC Activities and Pollution Reduction in China

Abstract This paper measures manufacturing service input at the micro level of export enterprises to investigate the pollution reduction effects of manufacturing servitization and examines the mechanism from the perspective of GVC activities of multinational corporations. The study finds that (1) servitization generally reduces the pollution emission intensity of export enterprises, and this effect is widespread among enterprises of various ownership types, pollution-intensive and nonpollution-intensive enterprises, and enterprises in the eastern and western regions; (2) there is a "U-shaped" nonlinear effect of servitization on the pollution reduction of export enterprises, indicating that in the initial stage of servitization, the increase in service elements in manufacturing will lead to an increase in enterprise emissions, and only when the servitization degree reaches a certain threshold will a significant pollution reduction effect be observed; and (3) the "domestic-foreign" and "foreign-domestic" types of GVC activities characterizing the connections between multinational corporations and local enterprises have a moderating effect on the pollution reduction impact of servitization. This study has significant implications for promoting the green development of enterprises through manufacturing servitization in the context of GVCs. JEL classification numbers: F18, L60. Keywords: Manufacturing Servitization, Pollution Reduction, Inverted "U" Shape, Multinational Company GVC Activities.

How environmental decentralization affects the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction: Evidence based on pig breeding in China

Reducing pollution and carbon is essential to achieve China's goal of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”; however, the collaborative paths of pollution and carbon reduction remain vague and worth exploring. This paper analyses panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2002 to 2017 to determine the impact of environmental decentralization on the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction in pig farming. The result shows that environmental decentralization has a significant ‘carbon reduction effect’ and ‘pollution reduction effect’ on pig farming; it is also conducive to promoting the synergistic effect of reducing pollution and carbon emissions through supporting environmental facilities and industrial organisations. Various types of environmental decentralization have significant differences in the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction. The scale of pig breeding plays a positive regulatory role in the impact of environmental decentralization on the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction while showing regional heterogeneity. This research is crucial for advancing the green transformation of pig breeding.

Research on the Impact of the Digital Economy on Carbon Pollution Based on the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone in China

The digital economy (DE) is increasingly recognized as a principal driver of high-quality economic development. With the dual carbon goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, it is essential to urgently discuss whether the DE can also provide an aid to restrain carbon pollution. For this reason, the purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the DE on urban carbon pollution and its underlying mechanism, utilizing balance panel data for Chinese cities from 2012 to 2021. Additionally, this study adopts the quasi-natural experiment in the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone to empirically analyze this relationship using the Difference-in-Differences (DID) and mediating effect models. The findings indicate that the DE can significantly decrease carbon pollution, exhibiting a clear carbon pollution reduction effect. These conclusions remain valid even after implementing various robustness tests. This examination of the action mechanism reveals that it is effective for the DE to mitigate urban carbon pollution by enhancing energy efficiency and attracting foreign investment. Further analysis of heterogeneity reveals that it is more effective for the DE to reduce carbon pollution in the non-resource-based cities, large cities, eastern regions, and cities with high urbanization levels as compared to the resource-based cities, small or mega cities, central and western regions, and cities with a low level of urbanization. These findings not only offer robust objective evidence for the positive influence of the DE on carbon pollution reduction, but also present valuable policy implications for minimizing carbon pollution and enhancing environmental quality.

How does the environmental performance assessment promote pollution reduction: An analysis of the first obligatory pollution reduction target plan in China

Environmental performance assessment (EPA) is vital in environmental governance and green development. Based on the policy experiment of the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution in China, this paper analyzes the impact of EPA in reducing pollution using the difference-in-differences (DID) model and data from 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) (2008–2020). The study finds that EPA significantly reduced PM2.5 emissions, which means that the implementation of EPA is conducive to improving the effectiveness of pollution reduction. After parallel trend tests and robustness tests by three methods, the results are still stable. The mechanism analysis finds that enhancing local government competition will weaken the pollution reduction effect of EPA. The heterogeneity analysis shows that compared to the upper and middle reaches of the YREB, EPA significantly reduces downstream pollution. In the context of global sustainable development, this study attempts to provide policy references for developing countries to formulate environmental policies and local governments to optimize environmental performance evaluation.

The impact of digital inputs on pollution reduction in Chinese manufacturing enterprises

Facilitating pollution reduction in manufacturing enterprises is crucial for implementing the new development concept and achieving sustainable, environmentally friendly growth. This research delves into the influence of digital inputs on pollution emission reduction in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. The study utilizes a combination of the World Input-Output Database, the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database, and the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Pollution Emission Database covering the period from 2000 to 2012. The findings reveal that digital inputs make a significant contribution to pollution reduction in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. Specifically, digital software inputs and foreign digital factor inputs display more pronounced effects on pollution reduction. The analysis of the mechanism reveals that the pollution reduction effects of digital inputs in manufacturing enterprises can be attributed to several effective mechanisms: the enhancement of energy efficiency, technological innovation, and servitization, as well as the crowding-out effect of pollution control investment. The former mechanisms demonstrate a promoting effect, while the latter exhibits an inhibiting effect. The impact of digital inputs on pollution reduction in manufacturing enterprises displays heterogeneity, with a more significant emission reduction effect observed in industries facing higher environmental regulatory intensity, digitization-unrelated industries, non-state-owned firms, and firms with higher levels of financing constraints. These findings offer empirical evidence and serve as a policy foundation for promoting digital transformation and achieving green economic development in China.

Digital finance and greener emissions: evidence from China

ABSTRACT Existing research on finance mainly focuses on credit, and there are few studies on the pollution reduction effects of digital finance. Based on a sample of 278 cities from 2011 to 2019, this article empirically examines the impact of digital finance on greener emissions. We find that digital finance, particularly in its usage depth, reduces industrial waste gas emissions, and exhibits a significant green emission effect. After using robustness tests such as Bartik instrument as an instrumental variable for digital finance, our conclusions still hold. Mechanism analysis finds that supporting green credit projects and promoting public energy conservation are the critical path for digital finance to enhance greener emissions. Furthermore, we compare the roles of traditional finance and digital finance in greener emissions, and find that digital finance reduces industrial waste gas emissions, while traditional finance is not conducive to emission reduction.

Environmental regulation, public environmental concern, and pollution reduction

AbstractSelecting the national water ecological civilization city (NWECC) policy as the starting point, this paper investigates whether environmental regulation might mitigate pollution discharge by the channel of public environmental concern. The results indicate that the NWECC policy has the effect of reducing pollution while significantly enhancing public environmental concern. The mediating effect analysis indicates that the NWECC policy reduces urban pollution via public environmental concern. The heterogeneity study shows that the pollution reduction effect of the NWECC policy is more apparent in cities with low economic development levels, low administrative levels, and low water resource endowments.

The impact and nonlinear relationship of low-carbon city construction on air quality: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China

Many low-carbon policies have been implemented to realize China's “double carbon goals”. Maximizing the synergistic effects of pollution reduction is very important. This study develops difference-in-difference and panel threshold models to analyze the effects of the low carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy on air quality and the nonlinear relationship between them. The results show that: (1) As a whole, the LCCP policy can effectively improve air quality in pilot cities. When regional heterogeneity is concerned, the policy shows a pollution mitigation effect in the eastern and central regions, while it shows a green paradox effect in the western region. (2) The LCCP policy has a spatial spillover effect and displays a U-shaped relationship in terms of distance in a full sample context. The spatial spillover effects of the LCCP policy in terms of the distance vary across regions. (3) There is a nonlinear relationship between LCCP policy and air quality based on the level of economic development and city innovation. When a city's economic development and innovation levels are relatively weak, the policy effect is reflected as a green paradox effect. The LCCP policy can significantly improve the air quality in the pilot cities only when the economic development level and city innovation level exceed a certain threshold. That means different cities should make their low-carbon development plans due to their development level.

Quantifying the potential effects of air pollution reduction on population health and health expenditure in Taiwan

Air pollution, particularly ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution, poses a significant risk to public health, underscoring the importance of comprehending the long-term impact on health burden and expenditure at national and subnational levels. Therefore, this study aims to quantify the disease burden and healthcare expenditure associated with PM2.5 exposure in Taiwan and assess the potential benefits of reducing pollution levels. Using a comparative risk assessment framework that integrates an auto-aggressive integrated moving average model, we evaluated the avoidable burden of cardiopulmonary diseases (including ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and diabetes mellitus) and related healthcare expenditure under different air quality target scenarios, including status quo and target scenarios of 15, 10, and 5 μg/m3 reduction in PM2.5 concentration. Our findings indicate that reducing PM2.5 exposure has the potential to significantly alleviate the burden of multiple diseases. Comparing the estimated attributable disease burden and healthcare expenditure between reference and target scenarios from 2022 to 2050, the avoidable disability-adjusted life years were 0.61, 1.83, and 3.19 million for the 15, 10, and 5 μg/m3 target scenarios, respectively. Correspondingly, avoidable healthcare expenditure ranged from US$ 0.63 to 3.67 billion. We also highlighted the unequal allocation of resources and the need for policy interventions to address health disparities due to air pollution. Notably, in the 5 μg/m3 target scenario, Kaohsiung City stands to benefit the most, with 527,368 disability-adjusted life years avoided and US$ 0.53 billion saved from 2022 to 2050. Our findings suggest that adopting stricter emission targets can effectively reduce the health burden and associated healthcare expenditure in Taiwan. Overall, this study provides policymakers in Taiwan with valuable insights for mitigating the negative effects of air pollution by establishing a comprehensive framework for evaluating the co-benefits of air pollution reduction on healthcare expenditure and disease burden.

Simulation and control of non-point source pollution based on MIKE model: A case study of Danjiang river basin, China

In the world, non-point source (NPS) has become one of the important factors affecting the water environment and water ecological security in the basin. In this paper, we investigate the response of runoff to pollution loads by establishing the MIKE SHE and MIKE HYDRO River coupled model with the Danjiang river basin as the research object; The MIKE LOAD is used to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of agricultural NPS pollution and to perform equivalence load analysis of pollutants in the basin; Single and combined control measures are set up to simulate the reduction effect of each pollutant for NPS pollution control in the basin. The results show that daily runoff has a high correlation with daily pollution loads of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and total phosphorous (TP); The pollution load of Jingziguan section calculated by the coupled model is comparable with the results calculated by MIKE LOAD, and the relative error is below 30%, and the simulation results are reasonable. The trend of the load into the river for all pollutants is consistent with the rainfall and generally shows the characteristics of high loads in flood season and low loads in non-flood season. The total emissions of NPS pollutants in the basin are TN>NH3-N>TP>COD, and the loads share of the four pollutants are 52.82%, 21.31%, 19.42% and 6.44% respectively. Four single and one combination measures are set up to evaluate the pollutant reduction effects. The reduction effect of combined measures is significantly better than that of single measures.

Exploring the effects of energy quota trading policy on carbon emission efficiency: Quasi-experimental evidence from China

Deepening the reform of energy market allocation is an endogenous motivation that strongly supports carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. China launched a pilot policy of energy quota trading (EQT) in 2016, yet little literature examines its effect on carbon emission reduction. To fill this gap, based on a quasi-natural experimental design with causal inference, this paper employs a difference-in-differences approach to explore the effect of the pilot EQT policy on carbon emission efficiency, as well as the spatial spillover effect, and its influential mechanisms. Results show that the EQT policy can contribute significantly to the improvement of carbon emission efficiency with a dynamic effect of about 3 years. The policy is more likely to promote carbon emission efficiency in northern cities than in southern cities. Also, the positive effect of the EQT policy on carbon emission efficiency is larger and more significant in cities with richer resource endowments than in other cities. It is important that the EQT policy promotes carbon efficiency by stimulating green technology innovation, mitigating energy misallocation and optimizing transportation networks. Moreover, this policy exhibits spatial spillover effect on emission reductions for neighboring areas, and synergetic pollution reduction effect for other air pollutants. This paper expands a theoretical framework for the relationship between EQT and carbon emission reduction. Our evidence highlights the essential role played by EQT in facilitating the low-carbon economy development and carbon neutrality.

Large-eddy simulations on pollutant reduction effects of road-center hedge and solid barriers in an idealized street canyon

This study conducted large-eddy simulations (LES) on the pollutant reduction effects of hedge and solid barriers in a three-dimensional idealized street canyon with an aspect ratio of 0.5. The wind direction was perpendicular and oblique (45°) to the street. The results were validated with data from wind tunnel experiments. LES accurately predicted the concentration distribution in the barrier-free case and reproduced well the barrier-induced concentration reduction. In the barrier-free case, a large recirculation vortex was observed. However, the central barriers forced the recirculated airflow in the middle of the canyon and newly formed vortices near the leeward walls. The two counter-direction vortices in the hedge and solid barrier cases transported pollutants toward the center of the canyon and enhanced the vertical pollutant removal at the top of the street canyon. The hedge barrier (solid barrier) reduced spatially-averaged concentration by about 59% (45%) near the leeward wall, 64% (20%) near the windward wall, and 45% (17%) in the whole street canyon compared to the barrier-free case. The effects of leaf area density (LAD) and barrier width were further investigated under the perpendicular wind direction. Increasing the LAD or the width of the hedge barrier decreased concentration near the leeward walls but increased canyon-averaged concentration. Increasing the width of the solid barrier decreased the concentration near the leeward walls and the canyon-averaged concentration. In an oblique wind direction, the hedge and solid barriers reduced by about 30% and 60% the spatially-averaged concentration near the building walls compared to the barrier-free case.

How does the digitization of government environmental governance affect environmental pollution？ spatial and threshold effects

Digitalization has become the core engine of a scientific and technological revolution and a new phase of industrial transformation, while the integrated digitalization development and environmental governance has become a strategic choice for high-quality development in the modern era. Focusing on the relationship between the digitalization of government environmental governance (DGEG) and environmental pollution, this study empirically tested the impact of DGEG on environmental pollution and its spatial spillover effect using the spatial Durbin model based on provincial panel data for China from 2015 to 2019. The threshold effect of this impact was examined using the threshold regression model from the perspective of digital infrastructure as well as digitalization developments in economic and social spheres. We found that DGEG can not only reduce environmental pollution in the local area but also improve the environmental quality of surrounding areas through the spatial spillover effect, showing an obvious “digital pollution reduction dividend”. However, this spillover effect has a spatial spillover boundary, only playing a role in pollution reduction within a certain geographical range. The impact of DGEG on environmental pollution has a single threshold effect based on digital infrastructure. As the digital infrastructure has improved over time, the “digital pollution reduction dividend” of DGEG has continued to strengthen, showing a characteristic of “increasing marginal revenue”. Under the constraints of digitalization development in the economic and social spheres, the impact of DGEG on environmental pollution has developed the characteristics of a single threshold, i.e., the pollution reduction effect of DGEG is not significant or even positive in the initial stage, but its impact gradually becomes prominent once it exceeds a certain threshold value.

Effect of different size microplastic particles on the construction of algal-bacterial biofilms and microbial communities

Algal-bacterial symbiotic system is a biological purification system that combines sewage treatment with resource utilization and has the dual effects of carbon sequestration and pollution reduction. In this study, an immobilized algal-bacterial biofilm system was constructed for the treatment of natural sewage. Effects of exposure to microplastics (MPs) with different particle diameters (0.065 μm, 0.5 μm and 5 μm) were determined in terms of algal biomass recovery efficiency, the composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and morphologic characteristics. The impacts of MPs on the bacterial diversity and community structure of biofilms were also examined. The metagenomic analysis of key microorganisms and related metabolism pathways involved in system was further investigated. Results showed that following exposure to 5 μm MP, a maximum algal recovery efficiency of 80% was achieved, with a minimum PSII primary light energy conversion efficiency (Fv/Fm ratio) of 0.513. Furthermore, 5 μm MP caused the highest level of damage to the algal-bacterial biofilm, enhancing the secretion of protein-rich EPS. The biofilm morphology became rough and loose following exposure to 0.5 μm and 5 μm MP. Community diversity and richness were significantly high in biofilms exposed to 5 μm MP. Proteobacteria (15.3–24.1%), Firmicutes (5.0–7.8%) and Actinobacteria (4.2–4.9%) were dominant in all groups, with exposure to 5 μm MP resulting in the highest relative abundance for these species. The addition of MPs promoted the related metabolic functions while inhibited the degradation of harmful substances by algal-bacterial biofilms. The findings have environmental significance for the practical application of algal-bacterial biofilms for sewage treatment, providing novel insights into the potential effects of MPs on immobilized algal-bacterial biofilm systems.

Can the digital economy development achieve the effect of pollution reduction? Evidence from Chinese Cities.

As a new economic form, the digital economy is not only empowering new impetus to economic growth, but also reshaping specific business forms of economical operation. Therefore, we conducted an empirical test to verify the impact and mechanism of pollution reduction in the digital economy, based on the panel data of 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2019. The results show that, first the development of the digital economy indeed has the positive effect of realizing pollution reduction. The results of mediating effect test indicate the influence mechanism mainly rely on promoting the upgrading of industrial structure (structural effect) and upgrading the level of green technology innovation (technical effect). Second, the results of regional heterogeneity analysis show that the emission reduction effect of digital economy development on four pollutants is characterized by weakness in the east and strong in the west in regional distribution. Third, the development of digital economy has a threshold effect on the level of economic development to achieve its pollution reduction effect. Further identification of the threshold effect indicates that the higher the level of economic development, the better in emission reduction effect.

The role of OFDI in home-country pollution: insights from LMDI and 3SLS approaches.

Under the global climate crisis, harnessing investment for sustainable development is a practical and effective measure for international society. Based on the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition and three-stage least squares (3SLS) structural approaches, this study explores the home-country pollution reduction effect of Chinese OFDI activities using the city-level panel data from 2007 to 2019. The findings of this study indicate that (1) China has made a remarkable achievement in PM2.5 pollution reduction and governance, especially from the year 2012. (2) The OFDI activities can significantly decrease the home-country PM2.5 pollution. With every 1% increase in OFDI flows, the overall pollution level will decrease by 0.76%. (3) Compared with the scale mechanism, the technology and composition mechanism effects of OFDI flows are more evident in addressing the home-country PM2.5 pollution. With several related policy implications, this study may fill the lacuna of how to play the role of OFDI activities in the home country, thus promoting sustainable development in the next stage.

Synergies of green policies and their pollution reduction effects: Quantitative analysis of China's green policy texts

Synergy is an important step to enhance policy effectiveness and has been discussed in many fields. In order to promote the transformation and upgrading of polluting industries, green policy synergy is urgent to be studied comprehensively. Thus, this paper analyzes the temporal evolution laws of policy content synergy, policy department synergy, and policy type synergy, and further investigates the pollution reduction effect of policy synergy according to the green policy texts issued by Chinese ministries and commissions from 2001 to 2021. The results are as follows. (1) Policy content synergy significantly suppresses the emission intensity of various pollutants. The pollution reduction effect is proportional to the content synergy degree of policies. (2) The policy department synergy significantly reduces the emission intensity of sulfur dioxide, solid waste, and comprehensive pollution, but the suppression effect on chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen oxygen demand is not obvious. (3) The pollution reduction effect varies with the policy type synergy. Specifically, the synergistic pollution reduction effect of command and control, market incentive, and public participation policies is the best, followed by market incentive and public participation policies, and that of command and control and market incentive policies is the worst. (4) Further research shows that energy consumption significantly negatively regulates the pollution reduction of the policy content synergy and the policy type synergy, but not the policy department synergy. Meanwhile, adjusting industrial structure can promote pollution reduction. This study provides an important reference for enhancing the synergy among green policies and achieving the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

Does bank competition curb corporate pollution emissions? Evidence from the geographical location of bank branches.

This study interprets enterprise pollution reduction from the perspective of the financial market. Using data on Chinese industrial enterprises, this paper tests the impacts of bank competition on enterprise pollution emissions. The findings show that bank competition has a significant total effect and technique effect on pollutant reduction. Bank competition reduces pollutant emissions by easing financing constraints, increasing the implementation of internal pollution control, and improving the efficiency of bank credit resource allocation. Further research shows that both bank type and bank branch level could moderate the pollution reduction effects and such effects vary a lot under different environmental regulation intensities. We expand the relevant literature on the economic consequences of banking competition and have certain theoretical and practical reference significance for the future reform of the banking industry.