Does environmental regulation reduce China's haze pollution? An empirical analysis based on panel quantile regression

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science and Policy
• Public Health
• Economics

Background:

• Severe haze pollution in China poses significant mortality risks and impacts residents' health.
• The Chinese government employs various environmental regulations to mitigate haze pollution.
• Understanding the differential impacts of these regulations is crucial for policymakers and academics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effect of different environmental regulations on haze pollution in China.
• To investigate the quantile-based discrepancies in regulatory impacts.
• To provide insights for more effective environmental policy design.

Main Methods:

• Utilized panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2005-2017.
• Employed a panel quantile model to assess regulatory impacts across different pollution levels.
• Examined command-and-control, economically restrained, and public participation regulations.

Main Results:

• Command-and-control regulation's effectiveness varies with pollution levels, showing a reduction at high quantiles but limited overall impact due to lax enforcement.
• Economically restrained regulation reduces pollution at low levels but becomes ineffective at high levels, with sewage charges lacking deterrent effect.
• Public participation shows a slight reduction in pollution at high levels, but its overall impact is insignificant.

Conclusions:

• Environmental regulations exhibit quantile-based discrepancies in their effectiveness against haze pollution.
• Current regulatory approaches, particularly regarding enforcement and economic incentives, require significant improvement.
• Findings offer a nuanced perspective on environmental regulation's impact, highlighting the need for tailored strategies.