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Does Environmental Information Disclosure Reduce PM2.5 Emissions? Evidence from Chinese Prefecture-Level Cities

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  • Teng Wang

    (School of Economic Management and Law, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 435002, China
    School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China)

  • Yani Wang

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China)

  • Weiwei Xiong

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE), Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France)

Abstract

As an important means of regulating pollution emissions, environmental regulation is crucial for reducing urban PM2.5. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the emission reduction effect of formal environmental regulations and neglected the role played by informal environmental regulations represented by environmental information disclosure. We employed a multiperiod difference-in-differences (DID) model to assess the effectiveness of EID policies in mitigating PM2.5 emissions and to investigate their abatement mechanism by focusing on green innovation and industrial structure. The findings indicate that the implementation of EID policies significantly reduces PM2.5 emissions. Mechanism tests reveal that EID promotes PM2.5 reductions by fostering green innovation and upgrading industrial structure. In addition, the impact of EID policy is more marked in resource-based cities and those located in interior regions. This study contributes to the reduction in urban haze emissions in China, offering empirical evidence and policy recommendations for the further implementation of environmental information disclosure.

Suggested Citation

  • Teng Wang & Yani Wang & Weiwei Xiong, 2024. "Does Environmental Information Disclosure Reduce PM2.5 Emissions? Evidence from Chinese Prefecture-Level Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:10125-:d:1525093
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    References listed on IDEAS

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