IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i24p16939-d1302441.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Regionally Heterogeneous Impact of China’s Environmental Regulation on the Transformation and Upgrading of Its Industrial Structure

Author

Listed:
  • Yutian Dou

    (School of Business and Management, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

  • Shuai Guan

    (School of Economics and Statistics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

Abstract

Approaches to promoting the transformation and upgrading of China’s industrial structure represent an important issue in high-quality economic development. The upgrading of industrial structures is beneficial not only for environmental protection but also for sustainable economic development. This article first tests the correlation between environmental regulation and the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure through an impulse response function and then uses provincial panel data to analyze the regionally heterogeneous impact of environmental regulation on industrial structure upgrading. The research results indicate that: (1) the presented impulse response graph indicates that environmental regulation shocks have a significant impact on the rationalization and upgrading of industrial structure, and subsequent variance decomposition indicates that environmental regulation has a strong explanatory power on the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure; (2) overall, strengthening the level of environmental regulation is not conducive to the rationalization of industrial structure (RIS), but a strong level of environmental regulation can significantly promote the upgrading of industrial structure (UIS); and (3) at the regional level, there is significant regional heterogeneity in the impact of environmental regulation on the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure in different regions. Environmental regulation can promote UIS in China’s eastern and western regions, but it is not conducive to RIS. Environmental regulation can promote RIS in China’s central region, but it has a negative impact on UIS. The conclusion of this article provides inspiration for sustainable economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Yutian Dou & Shuai Guan, 2023. "The Regionally Heterogeneous Impact of China’s Environmental Regulation on the Transformation and Upgrading of Its Industrial Structure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:24:p:16939-:d:1302441
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/24/16939/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/24/16939/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Singhania, Monica & Saini, Neha, 2021. "Demystifying pollution haven hypothesis: Role of FDI," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 516-528.
    2. Ambec, Stefan & Barla, Philippe, 2002. "A theoretical foundation of the Porter hypothesis," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 355-360, May.
    3. Armando Sanchez-Vargas & Ricardo Mansilla-Sanchez & Alonso Aguilar-Ibarra, 2013. "An Empirical Analysis of the Nonlinear Relationship Between Environmental Regulation and Manufacturing Productivity," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 357-371, November.
    4. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    5. Armando Sanchez-Vargas & Ricardo Mansilla-Sanchez & Alonso Aguilar-Ibarra, 2013. "An empirical analysis of the nonlinear relationship between environmental regulation and manufacturing productivity," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 16, pages 357-372, November.
    6. Cheong, Tsun Se & Wu, Yanrui, 2014. "The impacts of structural transformation and industrial upgrading on regional inequality in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 339-350.
    7. Eskeland, Gunnar S. & Harrison, Ann E., 2003. "Moving to greener pastures? Multinationals and the pollution haven hypothesis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 1-23, February.
    8. Liang Chen & Wanli Li & Kaibin Yuan & Xiaoqian Zhang, 2022. "Can informal environmental regulation promote industrial structure upgrading? Evidence from China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(19), pages 2161-2180, April.
    9. Ulrich Wagner & Christopher Timmins, 2009. "Agglomeration Effects in Foreign Direct Investment and the Pollution Haven Hypothesis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 43(2), pages 231-256, June.
    10. Shuai Guan & Jinquan Liu & Yongfu Liu & Mingze Du, 2022. "The Nonlinear Influence of Environmental Regulation on the Transformation and Upgrading of Industrial Structure," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-16, July.
    11. Fozia Latif Gill & K Kuperan Viswanathan & Mohd Zaini Abdul Karim, 2018. "The Critical Review of the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH)," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 8(1), pages 167-174.
    12. Taylor M. Scott, 2005. "Unbundling the Pollution Haven Hypothesis," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 4(2), pages 1-28, June.
    13. Yuncai Liu & Nengsheng Luo & Shusheng Wu, 2019. "Nonlinear Effects of Environmental Regulation on Environmental Pollution," Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, Hindawi, vol. 2019, pages 1-10, March.
    14. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    15. Azadegan, Arash & Wagner, Stephan M., 2011. "Industrial upgrading, exploitative innovations and explorative innovations," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(1), pages 54-65, March.
    16. Chiara Lodi & Silvia Bertarelli, 2023. "Eco-innovation and exports in heterogeneous firms: pollution haven effect and Porter hypothesis as competing theories," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(7), pages 923-952, October.
    17. Kearsley, Aaron & Riddel, Mary, 2010. "A further inquiry into the Pollution Haven Hypothesis and the Environmental Kuznets Curve," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 905-919, February.
    18. Gereffi, Gary, 1999. "International trade and industrial upgrading in the apparel commodity chain," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 37-70, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. José-Antonio Monteiro & Madina Kukenova, 2008. "Does Lax Environmental Regulation Attract FDI When Accounting For "Third-Country" Effects?," IRENE Working Papers 08-01, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    2. Anne Musson, 2012. "The importance of the stakeholders’ involvement in building indicators. The case of environmental regulation in France," Working Papers hal-02947023, HAL.
    3. Nicolae Stef & Sami Ben Jabeur, 2023. "Elections and Environmental Quality," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(2), pages 593-625, February.
    4. Ofori, Isaac K. & Figari, Francesco, 2022. "Economic Globalisation and Inclusive Green Growth in Africa: Contingencies and Policy-Relevant Thresholds of Governance," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue Forthcomi, pages 1-1.
    5. Anna Giunta & Domenico Scalera & Francesco Trivieri & Jeffrey B. Nugent & Mariarosaria Agostino, 2011. "Firm Productivity, Organizational Choice and Global Value Chain," Working Papers 2011R09, Orkestra - Basque Institute of Competitiveness.
    6. Mohamed Boly, 2018. "CO 2 mitigation in developing countries: the role of foreign aid," Working Papers halshs-01740881, HAL.
    7. Amuakwa-Mensah, Franklin & Klege, Rebecca A. & Adom, Philip K. & Amoah, Anthony & Hagan, Edmond, 2018. "Unveiling the energy saving role of banking performance in Sub-Sahara Africa," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 828-842.
    8. Siedschlag, Iulia & Yan, Weijie, 2023. "Do green investments improve firm performance? Empirical evidence from Ireland," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PB).
    9. Tang, Chor Foon & Abosedra, Salah & Naghavi, Navaz, 2021. "Does the quality of institutions and education strengthen the quality of the environment? Evidence from a global perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    10. Barra, Cristian & Zotti, Roberto, 2016. "Investigating the impact of national income on environmental pollution. International evidence," MPRA Paper 74149, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Cristian Barra & Roberto Zotti, 2018. "Investigating the non-linearity between national income and environmental pollution: international evidence of Kuznets curve," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 20(1), pages 179-210, January.
    12. Baiardi, Donatella & Bianchi, Carluccio & Lorenzini, Eleonora, 2015. "The price and income elasticities of the top clothing exporters: Evidence from a panel data analysis," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 14-30.
    13. Liu, Yiming & Hao, Yu & Gao, Yixuan, 2017. "The environmental consequences of domestic and foreign investment: Evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 271-280.
    14. Dong, Kangyin & Wei, Shuo & Liu, Yang & Zhao, Jun, 2023. "How does energy poverty eradication promote common prosperity in China? The role of labor productivity," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    15. Li, Qian & Xue, Qiuzhi & Truong, Yann & Xiong, Jie, 2018. "MNCs' industrial linkages and environmental spillovers in emerging economies: The case of China," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 346-355.
    16. Singhania, Monica & Saini, Neha, 2021. "Demystifying pollution haven hypothesis: Role of FDI," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 516-528.
    17. Simone Borghesi & Chiara Franco & Giovanni Marin, 2020. "Outward Foreign Direct Investment Patterns of Italian Firms in the European Union's Emission Trading Scheme," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(1), pages 219-256, January.
    18. Doytch, Nadia & Uctum, Merih, 2016. "Globalization and the environmental impact of sectoral FDI," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 582-594.
    19. Iftikhar Yasin & Nawaz Ahmad & M. Aslam Chaudhary, 2020. "Catechizing the Environmental-Impression of Urbanization, Financial Development, and Political Institutions: A Circumstance of Ecological Footprints in 110 Developed and Less-Developed Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 621-649, January.
    20. Isaac K. Ofori & Francesco Figari, 2022. "Economic Globalisation and Inclusive Green Growth in Africa: Contingencies and Policy-Relevant Thresholds of Governance," Working Papers 22/053, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:24:p:16939-:d:1302441. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.