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Synergistic Impacts of Clean Energy Demonstration Policy on Air Pollution and Carbon Reduction

Author

Listed:
  • Lizhi Cui

    (Business School, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan 243002, China)

  • Wang Sun

    (Business School, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan 243002, China)

Abstract

The development of clean energy is of great significance for achieving air pollution and carbon reduction. China has launched clean energy demonstration province (CEDP) construction as a pilot program to accelerate cleaner alternatives and promote synergies between air pollution and carbon reduction. Existing studies have focused on the carbon abatement effects of this clean energy demonstration policy but are inconclusive as to whether the policy also reduces air pollution. In this paper, we empirically assess the synergistic impact of the CEDP policy on air pollution and carbon reduction using the difference-in-differences method by treating the CEDP pilot as a quasi-natural experiment using provincial-level panel data from 2005 to 2020 in China. We find that the PM2.5 and carbon intensity in the eastern and central regions show a tendency to move towards a lower gradient compared to the western region, and the CEDP pilot has a synergistic effect on air pollution and carbon reduction, as the implementation of the policy significantly increases synergy between air pollution and carbon reduction and reduces the intensity of PM2.5 and carbon emissions in the pilot provinces, which remains a robust finding after multiple tests. In terms of regional differences, the policy’s effects in the central and western regions are more significant than those in the eastern regions, which suggests that the central and western regions have made more progress in environmental improvement after the implementation of the relevant policies, and this finding provides new ideas and possibilities for reducing regional pollution. Further mechanism tests find that industrial upgrading and energy efficiency improvement are important channels for the CEDP policy to achieve the synergistic effects of air pollution and carbon reduction. Accordingly, we put forward policy recommendations to expand the coverage of CEDP pilots in an orderly manner, strengthen the transmission role of industrial upgrading and energy efficiency improvement, and improve the evaluation system of CEDP construction and operation.

Suggested Citation

  • Lizhi Cui & Wang Sun, 2024. "Synergistic Impacts of Clean Energy Demonstration Policy on Air Pollution and Carbon Reduction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-25, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:9928-:d:1520873
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    References listed on IDEAS

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