Industrial Emission Reduction Research Articles

Accelerating industrial decarbonisation through common user infrastructure

Common user infrastructure (CUI) is crucial to accelerating industrial emissions reduction because it can help reduce the cost and complexity of decarbonisation projects, facilitate collaboration between different stakeholders and make projects more bankable, more quickly. This paper will discuss the headline opportunities and current challenges in developing CUI in Western Australia (WA). It will also cite industry examples where CUI has been implemented and highlight transferable learnings relevant to our local context. The paper will be of interest to anyone involved in the energy industry in WA, including investors and legislators. Our oral presentation (with accompanying slide show) will include discussion of: the role of common user infrastructure in decarbonisation, the opportunities for CUI in WA, the current challenges of CUI in WA and learnings from industries/geographies where CUI has been implemented.

Smart city and green innovation: Mechanisms and industrial emission reduction effect

Green innovation is essential for environmentally sustainable development. The construction of smart cities offers significant potential for developing green innovation through optimizing urban administration and improving the allocation of critical resources. Using Chinese city data from 2005 to 2019, this study adopts a causal identification framework based on the multi-temporal difference-in-difference method to explore the impact of smart city construction on green innovation and the mechanism and joint industrial emission reduction effect between them. A positive and significant relationship with a weak inverted U-shaped trend was found between smart city construction and green innovation. Besides the direct channel, labor factor allocation, venture capital attractiveness, and market accessibility are essential indirect channels between the two concepts. Furthermore, the effects of smart city construction on green innovation varied depending on the marketization level, administrative rank, population size, and geographic location of the city. In addition, the interaction of the two constructs negatively affected industrial emissions, which helped optimize the environment. These findings suggest that smart city construction offers a digital dividend for developing green innovation and creating an efficient, sustainable environment.

Does ecological economic zone policy affect pollutant emission: Evidence from a case study of Dongting Lake

Environmental pollution affects human health, reduces work motivation, and addressing environmental pollution is a common challenge faced by the world. The Chinese government has recently implemented a new environmental policy - the national-level ecological economic zone - to develop a green economy and reduce environmental pollution. This study utilizes the difference-in-difference method to analyze the impact of the Dongting Lake ecological economic zone on environmental pollution. The results show that: policy led to a 68 % reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions. This impact was more pronounced in economically developed areas, regions with a high concentration of foreign-invested, and areas with greater economic openness. Mechanism tests indicate that the policy reduces environmental pollution by promoting technological progress. Robustness checks show that the policy also resulted in a 37 % reduction in industrial wastewater emissions. The results offer new insights to advance the development of the ecological economic zone more effectively. The ecological economic zone should focus on enhancing technological advancement and green total factor productivity to amplify the policy's positive effects.

A comprehensive examination of temporal-seasonal variations of PM1.0 and PM2.5 in taiwan before and during the COVID-19 lockdown

COVID-19 has been a significant global concern due to its contagious nature. In May 2021, Taiwan experienced a severe outbreak, leading the government to enforce strict Pandemic Alert Level 3 restrictions in order to curtail its spread. Although previous studies in Taiwan have examined the effects of these measures on air quality, further research is required to compare different time periods and assess the health implications of reducing particulate matter during the Level 3 lockdown. Herein, we analyzed the mass concentrations, chemical compositions, seasonal variations, sources, and potential health risks of PM1.0 and PM2.5 in Central Taiwan before and during the Level 3 lockdown. As a result, coal-fired boilers (47%) and traffic emissions (53%) were identified as the predominant sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM1.0, while in PM2.5, the dominant sources of PAHs were coal-fired boilers (28%), traffic emissions (50%), and iron and steel sinter plants (22.1%). Before the pandemic, a greater value of 20.9 ± 6.92 μg/m3 was observed for PM2.5, which decreased to 15.3 ± 2.51 μg/m3 during the pandemic due to a reduction in industrial and anthropogenic emissions. Additionally, prior to the pandemic, PM1.0 had a contribution rate of 79% to PM2.5, which changed to 89% during the pandemic. Similarly, BaPeq values in PM2.5 exhibited a comparable trend, with PM1.0 contributing 86% and 65% respectively. In both periods, the OC/EC ratios for PM1.0 and PM2.5 were above 2, due to secondary organic compounds. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of PAHs in PM2.5 decreased by 4.03 × 10-5 during the pandemic, with PM1.0 contributing 73% due to reduced anthropogenic activities.

Evaluation of marginal abatement cost and potential reduction in China's industrial carbon emissions: A quadratic directional output distance function approach

As a relevant indicator for quantifying the value of carbon emissions, the marginal abatement cost (MAC) of carbon emissions has received increasing attention from academics and policymakers. This study uses a quadratic directional output distance function to analyse the technical efficiency, potential emission reduction and shadow prices of China's industrial carbon emissions. The results show that the technical efficiency of China's industry gradually decreased during the sample period. From the perspective of regions with different carbon intensity and industrial output, regions with lower carbon intensity and higher industrial output gradually closed to the optimal frontier for the technology use level and had relatively high technical efficiency. Rising technical inefficiency and carbon emissions led to a potential emission reduction that also exhibits an upwards trend. In addition, the MAC of industrial carbon emissions exhibits a U-shaped trajectory, with 2011 as the turning point. Generally, in recent years, regions with lower carbon intensity and those with higher industrial output have a relatively high MAC for industrial carbon emissions. The empirical findings reveal that a carbon emission reduction policy should be formulated and targeted to each province, and the principle of ‘easy before difficult’ can be followed to promote emission reduction.

China’s Crackdown on Crypto Mining from a Climate Perspective: Unified Efforts from Administrative Authorities and the Judiciary

Abstract This article presents an examination of the unified efforts by China’s central authorities and the judiciary in the crackdown on crypto mining within the country. It discusses the environmental ramifications of crypto mining and traces its development in China, highlighting the resource-intensive nature of the process. Crypto mining risks China’s national objectives of promoting high-quality economic and social development, as well as industrial optimisation, energy conservation and emissions reduction. The central government’s commitment to climate goals and ecological civilisation, coupled with the perceived minimal economic benefits and substantial environmental damage caused by crypto mining, led to the issuance of the Notice on Rectifying Mining Activities of Virtual Currencies in September 2021. This article discusses the implications of the Notice and how it has been implemented at both national and local levels by the administrative authorities. With reference to typical cases, it examines how the judiciary in delivering judgments has kept in line with the spirit of the Notice by analysing mining-related civil disputes as they arise in courts and reflects on the interplay of legal and administrative measures in shaping a sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to emerging technologies in China and beyond.

Pollutant reduction effects of vertical environmental reform in China.

The vertical environmental reform in China has led to the change of environmental management system from territorial management model to vertical management model. This study uses the data of 263 prefecture-level cities in China to examine the effects of China's vertical environmental reform on pollutant emissions, including industrial sulfur dioxide, wastewater emissions, and industrial fumes emissions. The findings demonstrate that vertical environmental reform resulted in a reduction in industrial sulfur dioxide, wastewater emissions, and industrial fumes emissions. And the governance effects is gradually enhanced with the passage of time, which are long-lasting effects. The above conclusions are still valid after a series of robust estimates including mitigating selection bias, placebo test, changing the dependent variables, and mitigating heterogeneous treatment effects. According to heterogeneity analysis, the vertical environmental reform has reduced the increase of pollutants caused by financial pressure and official associations, and treats border pollution problems more effectively. Under the decentralized governance system, the implementation of vertical environmental management helps to reduce local pollutant emissions. This conclusion provides the latest evidence from China for the academic debate on the advantages and disadvantages of territorial environmental management and vertical environmental management and also provides policy implications for the government's environmental governance.

Atlas of ozone chemical regimes in Europe

While concentrations of most air pollutants have been decreasing in Europe over the last 20 years, O3 is showing variable trends, with increasing average and decreasing peak concentrations. The complexity of O3 chemistry adds to the difficulty of understanding both the trends observed and how concentrations can be mitigated. This paper tries to answer the following questions: which emission sectors should be targeted and what levels of reduction could be achieved? To address these reflections, an Atlas of O3 chemical regimes has been constructed. For this Atlas, 22 European cities were selected and the surrogate model Air Control Toolbox (ACT) was used to evaluate the simulated changes in several ozone metrics as a result of reductions in road transport and industrial emissions. O3 chemical regimes have been classified and put in perspective with meteorological and emission data at each city location and around. The O3 sensitivity to road transport and industrial emissions differ from one city to another, but also for the same city when considering different ozone metrics and seasons (e.g., annual means versus SOMO35 or summer peaks). Counterproductive impacts yielding O3 increase when emissions are reduced are mainly encountered in regions or periods where O3 concentration are relatively low. In terms of meteorological factors, O3 chemical regimes are mostly impacted by the amount of solar radiation received but wind speed also has a considerable impact. Most cases show a higher sensitivity to emission reductions from road transport or equal sensitivity to emission reductions from road transport and industry. Very few cases are more sensitive to emissions from the industrial sector. However, the response of annual or seasonal average O3 metrics to industrial and road transport emissions can be considered relatively low with a maximum reduction of 33% for a 100% reduction of both industrial and road transport emissions. This is because anthropogenic emission can only mitigate ozone above a substantial natural tropospheric background. It is precisely this incremental anthropogenic ozone, which should be targeted by efficient policies as we also demonstrate that none of the cities studied would exceed the European target value with a 100% reduction in emissions.

How does the location of high-speed railway stations affect the emission reduction effect of industrial structure upgrading?

The opening of high-speed railway (HSR) has accelerated the reorganization and reallocation of regional production elements, and constantly promoted the adjustment and upgrading of industrial structure. The cleaner production effect produced by industrial structure upgrading is of great significance to industrial pollution reduction. As a bridge connecting resources within the city and elements outside the city, the location of HSR stations has become an important factor affecting the structural emission reduction effect. Based on the data of 285 prefecture level and above cities in China from 2004 to 2018, this paper investigates the structural emission reduction effects of HSR opening and the impact of HSR station location on it by employing difference-in-differences (DID) model combined with mediation effect method. The results demonstrate that the opening of HSR has significant structural emission reduction effect, and the upgrading of inter-industry structure and the intra-industry structure are important mechanisms for HSR to achieve industrial emission reduction. The structural emission reduction effect of HSR opening is closely related to the location of HSR stations. With the increase of the distance between HSR station and city center, the industrial structure upgrading effect will continue to weaken, thus inhibiting the exertion of structural emission reduction effect, of which 10km away from the city center is the optimal site strategy for the HSR service to give full play to the structural emission reduction effect, and exceeding 50km will be significantly detrimental to its role in promoting industrial structure upgrading.

Collaborative governance on industrial pollution and carbon emissions through synchronous development of factor markets: Impact and mechanism

Industrial sectors are pivotal areas for achieving the collaborative goal of pollution and carbon abatement, with technology playing a crucial role. Despite previous studies discussing the adverse environmental impacts of factor market distortion, there remains a research gap in examining the role of the technology market and the coordination among factor markets. This study introduces the concept of synchronous development between the capital and technology markets, drawing on the method of marriage-education matching in sociology. Furthermore, it employs the theoretical framework of new structural economics to investigate the impact and mechanisms of synchronous development between the capital and technology markets on the synergistic reduction of industrial pollution and carbon emissions, based on Chinese provincial-level panel data from 2000 to 2019 and auxiliary listed-company panel data. The results indicate that (1) the synchronous development between capital and technology markets facilitates collaborative governance in pollution mitigation and carbon abatement. (2) Industrial and technological structures serve as channel mechanisms, with the latter including technological innovation and productivity improvement of micro-enterprises as well as the optimization of energy consumption structure at the macro level. (3) Technology and labor quality endowments enhance the synergistic abatement effect, albeit by setting certain thresholds for actualization. (4) There is a reciprocal reinforcement and restrictive relationship between the synchronization and development of factor markets. This study applies the new structural economic theory to collaborative governance on pollution and carbon emissions, extending the research on the environmental and climate impacts of factor markets.

Long-term variation, solubility and transport pathway of PM2.5-bound iron in a megacity of northern China

Although particulate Fe has a significant impact on human health, atmospheric chemical reactions, air quality, climate change, and ecosystems, there is a lack of long-term continuous hourly observation on particulate Fe in the megacity of Beijing, limiting research on these issues. To address this gap, this study continuously measured hourly concentrations of Fe in PM2.5 from October 2018 to October 2022 in Beijing. The results indicate an overall decline in Fe concentrations, consistent with previous studies in Beijing. This decline can be attributed to multiple factors, such as reduced coal consumption, restrictions on biomass burning, increased use of clean energy, advanced technologies for industrial emission reduction, and efforts to control fugitive dust. Seasonal variations in Fe concentrations were similar across the various years, with higher mean concentrations in spring, fall, and winter, and lower levels in summer. Daily variations in PM2.5-bound Fe concentrations exhibited two peaks, influenced by changes in emission intensity and the evolution of the planetary boundary layer. The solubility of PM2.5-bound Fe exhibited a wide range, varying from 4 % to 95 %, surpassing previously reported source-specific values. This variability can be attributed to acid dissolution effects and complexation behaviors. Nonparametric wind regression analysis identified distinct hotspots (higher concentrations) in the northwest wind sector at wind speeds of approximately 5–15 km/h, which are associated with blowing dust and dust storms. Additionally, the potential source contribution function analysis identified high-potential source areas were precisely located in the northwestern, western, and southern regions of Beijing, rather than primarily in the southern areas recorded in a previous study. This research provides valuable insights for studying the health effects and migration and transformation of nutrient elements, particularly particulate Fe, in Beijing.

Does industrial convergence mitigate CO2 emissions in China? A quasi-natural experiment on “Triple Play” Reform

As a crucial aspect of industrial development, the influence of industrial convergence on the environment cannot be ignored. This paper uses the “Triple Play” Reform (TPR) policy as a representative case of industrial convergence for constructing a quasi-natural experimental analysis framework. Using panel data from 285 Chinese cities from 2004 to 2016, we examine the influence of the industrial convergence policy on per capita CO2 emissions using a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model. The results indicate that the TPR reduces CO2 emissions in China. Furthermore, the TPR policy indirectly decreases per capita CO2 emissions through industrial structure upgrading and the promotion of green technology innovation. Most importantly, the carbon emission-reduction effect of TPR is heterogeneous according to geographical differences, resource endowment, and city size. The research findings contribute to filling a gap in the literature by demonstrating how industrial convergence policies can mitigate CO2 emissions in China and offer valuable insights for future industrial convergence practices and emission reduction strategies in China.

Analysis of influencing factors of industrial green and low-carbon transformation under the background of “double carbon”: evidence from Sichuan province, China

Introduction: Industrial green and low-carbon transformation is the key to improve economic development and necessary process to achieve the goal of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Few studies have been done on the decomposition of carbon emission factors in industries and sub-industries and the impact of green and low-carbon transformation about carbon emission in each industry quantitatively. However, the study of industries and sub-industries can comprehensively analyze the development path of green and low-carbon transformation from a more detailed perspective, and provide scientific reasons for the optimization of industrial structure and energy structure.Methods: The extended Kaya identity for industrial carbon emission is constructed to obtain four factors influencing industrial carbon emission: economic output effect, industrial structure effect, energy intensity effect, carbon consumption intensity in this paper. Then, the LMDI decomposition method is combined with the above identity to innovatively obtain the contribution value of carbon emissions from the perspective of overall, industrial sector and tertiary industry. Then, based on the results of factor decomposition, a multi-index scenario prediction model is constructed. On this basis, the extreme learning machine model optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO-ELM) was used to predict the influence of the changes in the driving factors on the reduction of industrial carbon emissions. By setting the baseline and industrial green and low-carbon transformation scenarios, it is predicted that industrial carbon emission in Sichuan Province.Results and discussion: (1) Economic output effect always promotes the growth of industrial carbon emissions, and with the adjustment of industrial structure and energy structure, the other three factors begin to restrain the growth of carbon emissions. (2) Scenario prediction shows that without considering the economic costs of transformation, improving carbon emission reduction efficiency can be obtained through accelerating the rate of change of industrial structure of the secondary and tertiary industries, increasing the proportion of energy intensity reduction, and strengthening the proportion of non-fossil energy use.

Effect of Carbon Dioxide Emission Reduction Policy on Air Quality Improvement in Jiangsu Province

Carbon emission peaking and air quality improvement is an urgent issue in the research of the atmospheric environment. Here, the emission factor method was used to compile the city-level greenhouse gas emission inventory of Jiangsu Province from 2010 to 2019, which was then combined with greenhouse gas-air pollutant synergy analysis and WRF-Chem air quality model simulation to analyze the synergistic gain of air quality improvement under different carbon emission reduction scenarios. The results revealed that the annual mean CO2 emission in Jiangsu Province from 2010 to 2019 was 701.74-897.47 Mt. Suzhou, Xuzhou, and Nanjing had the highest emissions (91.19-182.12 Mt·a-1); Yangzhou, Suqian, and Lianyungang had the lowest emissions (13.19-32.54 Mt·a-1); and majority of the cities had a continuous upward trend in the CO2 emissions. Energy activities were the main source of CO2 emissions, accounting for nearly 90%, whereas industrial production processes contributed to the remaining 10%. This study designed three types of CO2 emission reduction conditions according to different emission reduction priorities, namely, sector-wide collaborative, energy priority, and industrial priority. Each type of emission reduction condition included a different intensity of CO2 emission reduction (10%, 20%, and 40%). The condition-based simulation results demonstrated that, taking 2017 as the base year, the average annual decrease in PM2.5 concentration in sector-wide collaborative, energy priority, and industrial priority emission reduction was 6.7-21.1, 3.1-12.0, and 3.4-14.3 μg·m-3, respectively. Sector-wide collaborative emission reduction had the most notable improvement in PM2.5 pollution. Under the condition of the sector-wide collaborative emission reduction of 40%, the average annual PM2.5 concentration of all cities, excluding Xuzhou and Suqian, met the national Ⅱ standard (35 μg·m-3). The change responses of PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO were similar to that of PM2.5, but O3 pollution increased under the conditions of energy and industrial priorities.

Fiscal centralization and urban industrial pollution emissions reduction: Evidence from the vertical reform of environmental administrations in China

The relationship between fiscal regimes and urban industrial pollution emissions is unclear. This paper aims to explore the effects and mechanisms of fiscal centralization on urban industrial pollution emissions and environmental quality. Using the vertical reform of environmental administrations (VREA) in China as a quasi-natural experiment of fiscal centralization, this study applies a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) model to explore the differences in industrial pollution emissions between centralization cities and decentralization cities. The main findings are: (1) VREA significantly inhibits regional industrial pollution emissions, and the reform effect increases over time. This conclusion still holds after considering a series of robustness issues. (2) Industrial sulfur dioxide (SO2) and solid particulate emissions in the fiscal centralization cities have decreased significantly by 0.3281% and 0.2240%, respectively. However, there is no significant change in industrial wastewater discharges. (3) Environmental regulations, environmental expenditures, and pollution control investments of local governments are the main channels through which VREA reduces industrial pollution emissions. (4) The effects of VREA are more significant in central and western cities and small cities. (5) Relative to decentralization cities, centralization cities have improved air and water quality by 0.0825% and 0.1628%, respectively. These findings help to accurately assess the effects of fiscal centralization on regional environmental governance and provide a decision-making reference for further deepening environmental centralization reform in China.

Study of environmental regulation on industrial energy conservation and emission reduction

ObjectiveChina has become the top emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), since 2006 and continued to maintain a rapid economic expansion alongside rising energy conservation and emission reduction. China faces a deteriorating environment regulation and increased domestic and international pressure to reduce emissions. MethodsThe Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) must be able to decrease emissions and promote energy conservation in developing countries in order for these countries to experience sustainable economic and environmental growth. The impact of China's carbon dioxide (CO2) ETS pilot law, which took effect in 2011, on energy efficiency and carbon reduction was examined in this article. To examine how the CO2 ETS affects energy efficiency and emission reduction, we employ the difference-in-differences (DID) model based on the panel data of the two-digit sector at the province level. ResultsAccording to the findings, regulated industries in pilot areas use 22.8% less energy and emit 15.5% less CO2 than those in non-pilot areas. These reductions were the outcome of the CO2 ETS. According to additional analysis, boosting energy technical efficiency and modifying the industrial structure are the major factors driving the consequences of policy. ConclusionThe CO2 ETS also functions better, according to our research, in regions with strong environmental regulation and marketization. According to our research, developing countries' attempts to conserve energy and reduce emissions have benefited from the CO2 ETS.

Хімічні канцерогени у навколишньому середовищі України: ризик для населення, шляхи попередження, удосконалення гігієнічного регламентування

The purpose of this work was to determine the carcinogen-hazardous factors in the environment and the criteria for assessing their danger to the population in modern conditions (pre-war period). Materials and methods of research: reports of research works of the Laboratory of Hygiene of Carcinogenic Factors and Nanomaterials of the SI «O.M. Marzieiev Institute for Public Health, NAMS of Ukraine» and own publications over the past 5 years. Bibliosemantic, analytical, hygienic and medical-statistical methods were used to process the materials. Results. The analysis of field and analytical studies has shown that over the past 20-25 years old, against the backdrop of a reduction in industrial emissions, the volume of use of plant protection products and plant products in agricultural activity has increased significantly, and in everyday life – household chemicals, cosmetics, etc., most of which contain specific substances – endocrine disruptors. It was shown that over the years, the rate of increase in the rate of cancer of the endocrine organs (cancer of the mammary, thyroid, prostate glands), uterine body and ovaries increases. The obtained data indicate a trend towards rejuvenation of oncological diseases of hormone-dependent organs. The danger of atmospheric air pollution in cities has been studied; a comparative assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk for the population in a highly industrialized city with a complex of ferrous metallurgy enterprises and a city where there are no specific sources of pollution was carried out. It was concluded that for study of environmental issues regarding the state of the air environment, it is sufficient to use hygienic indicators - maximum permissible concentrations and total pollution indicators, while for the assessment of the impact on human health, the use of risk indicators is more adequate. This raises the question of the compliance of domestic hygienic (medical and sanitary) regulations with international risk indicators. This is especially true for factors with mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. The analysis of risk indicators for a number of carcinogenic substances included in the domestic regulatory and methodological bases at the level of their maximum permissible concentrations proved that the standards for atmospheric air according to the international classification scale correspond to an acceptable risk (1 - 104) for only 26% of substances, and for air of the working area - 45% of substances. Consequently, most of the hygienic standards, both in the atmospheric air of populated areas and in the air of the working area, according to international standards, do not meet the safety requirements for the population and need to be revised using international approaches and focusing on the risk criteria for the development of neoplasms due to the action of individual compounds. Conclusions: the real air pollution in populated areas poses a certain danger to the population and requires preventive measures to reduce it. The currently existing national regulatory framework for the permissible content of carcinogenic substances in the air environment (atmospheric air and air of the working area) does not meet the requirements of the EU and the USA.

Responsibility Allocation of Provincial Industry Emission Reduction from the Perspective of Industrial Linkages—A Case Study of Shanxi Province

The allocation of emissions reduction responsibilities in a fair and efficient manner is the key to achieving optimal overall reductions in emissions. However, existing studies have not adequately considered the impact of industry linkages. To fill this gap, this study constructed a carbon emissions reduction responsibility allocation model from the perspective of industry linkages using the TOPSIS (a technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution) comprehensive evaluation method based on entropy weights. A typical resource-based province, Shanxi, was selected to broaden the scope of the related research to the provincial level. The indicator system designed in this study also compensates existing studies that have lacked consideration of industry linkages. The results show that traditional energy-intensive industries will be significantly less responsible by incorporating indirect emissions responsibility into the equity principle, while the ‘coal mining and washing’ and ‘construction’ industries will be more responsible. By incorporating the impact of industry linkages on the overall emissions reduction effect into the efficiency principle, traditional energy-intensive industries with overly intensive emissions reduction tasks will limit the overall efficiency, while industries with strong emissions reduction potential or able to support low-carbon economic development will be able to take on more responsibilities. These findings are expected to provide the government with references to formulate mitigation policies in China and in other countries.

Significant variation in air quality in South Indian cities during COVID-19 lockdown and unlock phases.

With the spread of COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, the Government of India had imposed lockdown in the month of March 2020 to curb the spread of the virus furthermore. This shutdown led to closure of various institutions, organizations, and industries, and restriction on public movement was also inflicted which paved way to better air quality due to reduction in various industrial and vehicular emissions. To brace this, the present study was carried out to statistically analyze the changes in air quality from pre-lockdown period to unlock 6.0 in South Indian cities, namely, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, and Hyderabad, by assessing the variation in concentration of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 during pre-lockdown, lockdown, and unlock phases. Pollutant concentration data was obtained for the selected timeframe (01 March 2020-30 November 2020) from CPCB, and line graph was plotted which had shown visible variation in the concentration of pollutants in cities taken into consideration. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to determine the mean differences in the concentration of pollutants during eleven timeframes, and the results indicated a significant difference (F (10,264) = 3.389, p < 0.001). A significant decrease in the levels of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 during the lockdown phases was asserted by Tukey HSD results in Bangalore, Coimbatore, and Hyderabad stations, whereas PM10 and NO2 significantly increased during lockdown period in Chennai station. In order to understand the cause of variation in the concentration of pollutants and to find the association of pollutants with meteorological parameters, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to study the relationship between PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 concentrations, temperature, rainfall, and wind speed for a span of 15months, i.e., from January 2020 to March 2021. At a significant level of 99.9%, 99%, and 95%, a significant correlation among the pollutants, rainfall had a major impact on the pollutant concentration in Bangalore, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and Chennai followed by wind speed and temperature. No significant influence of temperature on the concentration of pollutants was observed in Bangalore station.

Can raising environmental tax reduce industrial water pollution? Firm-level evidence from China

This paper examines the effect of raising tax rates on reducing industrial water pollution, exploiting China's environmental tax reform in 2018 as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on micro-level data covering >19 thousand firms nationwide, we estimate that for every unit of tax rate increase, the emissions of water pollutants, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Ammonia Nitrogen (NH3−N) have fallen by 8.63% and 3.79%. High emission intensity firms reduce their emissions more than low emission intensity firms. We also document that state-owned enterprises are less responsive to the tax increase than non-state-owned enterprises. Our findings provide evidence that the increased environmental tax has contributed to significant reductions in industrial emissions in China.