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Environmental protection and economic efficiency of low-carbon pilot cities in China

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  • Yongling Yao

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Xinyi Shen

    (Renmin University of China)

Abstract

Resolving the contradiction between environmental protection and economic development is essential for sustainable development. As the world’s largest developing country, China has achieved rapid economic growth at the cost of serious environmental pollution. Taking China’s "low-carbon pilot" cities as study objects, we conduct a joint analysis of air quality and productivity to investigate the suitability of low-carbon activity to the economic development model. Using the difference-in-difference method, air quality and labor productivity are set as two explained variables, and the robustness was tested with propensity score matching. We find that the low-carbon pilot measures have improved air quality, but reduced labor productivity, which proves that China's low-carbon city pilots are a "single win" model that focuses on pollution controlling and ignoring "economic incentives." The result implies that measures should be formulated according to the life cycles of different types of local development. By testing the effects of low-carbon pilot cities policy on environment and economy, this paper provides suggestions for its implement in the whole country. Graphic abstract

Suggested Citation

  • Yongling Yao & Xinyi Shen, 2021. "Environmental protection and economic efficiency of low-carbon pilot cities in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(12), pages 18143-18166, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:23:y:2021:i:12:d:10.1007_s10668-021-01431-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01431-y
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    Cited by:

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    2. Zhu, Qing & Lu, Kai & Liu, Shan & Ruan, Yinglin & Wang, Lin & Yang, Sung-Byung, 2022. "Can low-carbon value bring high returns? Novel quantitative trading from portfolio-of-investment targets in a new-energy market," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 755-769.
    3. Yuan Su & Ziyu Miao & Chanjuan Wang, 2022. "The Experience and Enlightenment of Asian Smart City Development—A Comparative Study of China and Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Junguo Shi & Hubert Visas & Jabbar Ul-Haq & Shujaat Abbas & Sana Khanum, 2023. "Investigating the impact of export product diversification on environmental degradation: evidence from Chinese Provinces," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(10), pages 11455-11486, October.
    5. Jingbo Liu & Haoyuan Feng & Kun Wang, 2022. "The Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy and Urban Land Use Efficiency: A Policy Assessment from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, April.
    6. Lu, Jin & Wang, Tianhui & Liu, Xihua, 2023. "Can environmental governance policy synergy reduce carbon emissions?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 570-585.
    7. Li, Shengnan & Zheng, Xinya & Liao, Jing & Niu, Jianbo, 2024. "Low-carbon city pilot policy and corporate environmental performance: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 1248-1266.
    8. Zhipeng Han & Liguo Wang & Feifei Zhao & Zijun Mao, 2022. "Does Low-Carbon City Policy Improve Industrial Capacity Utilization? Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-26, September.

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