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Greening the Economy from the Ground Up: How the Minimum Wage Affects Firms’ Pollution Emissions in China

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  • Haili Ren

    (School of International Business, Southwest University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 610074, China)

  • Ming Zhu

    (Kriger School of Arts and Sciences, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan 243099, China)

  • Bofei Lyu

    (School of Public Administration, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710064, China)

Abstract

The implications of minimum wage standards have been widely debated, but their effects on firms’ pollution emissions and the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This paper finds that the introduction of minimum wage standards significantly reduces emissions of pollutants such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Firms respond to rising minimum wages by optimizing their product mix, enhancing technological innovation, and improving managerial efficiency, which collectively curb pollution outputs. Our analysis using a random forest model shows that these effects are most pronounced in regions with higher economic development, stringent environmental regulations, and elevated minimum wage standards. Our findings augment the body of research on minimum wage standards and introduce novel insights for emission reduction strategies for firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Haili Ren & Ming Zhu & Bofei Lyu, 2024. "Greening the Economy from the Ground Up: How the Minimum Wage Affects Firms’ Pollution Emissions in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-21, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:14:p:6020-:d:1435193
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    References listed on IDEAS

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