Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Air pollution effects of industrial transformation in the Yangtze River Delta from the perspective of spatial spillover

  • Published:
Journal of Geographical Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) is a region in China with a serious contradiction between economic growth and environmental pollution. Exploring the spatiotemporal effects and influencing factors of air pollution in the region is highly important for formulating policies to promote the high-quality development of urban industries. This study uses the spatial Durbin model (SDM) to analyze the local direct and spatial spillover effects of industrial transformation on air pollution and quantifies the contribution of each factor. From 2008 to 2018, there was a significant spatial agglomeration of industrial sulfur dioxide emissions (ISDE) in the YRD, and every 1% increase in ISDE led to a synchronous increase of 0.603% in the ISDE in adjacent cities. The industrial scale index (ISCI) and industrial structure index (ISTI), as the core factors of industrial transformation, significantly affect the emissions of sulfur dioxide in the YRD, and the elastic coefficients are 0.677 and −0.368, respectively. The order of the direct effect of the explanatory variables on local ISDE is ISCI>ISTI>foreign direct investment (FDI)>enterprise technological innovation (ETI)>environmental regulation (ER)> per capita GDP (PGDP). Similarly, the order of the spatial spillover effect of all variables on ISDE in adjacent cities is ISCI>PGDP>FDI>ETI>ISTI>ER, and the coefficients of the ISCI and ISTI are 1.531 and 0.113, respectively. This study contributes to the existing research that verifies the environmental Kuznets curve in the YRD, denies the pollution heaven hypothesis, indicates the Porter hypothesis, and provides empirical evidence for the formation mechanism of regional environmental pollution from a spatial spillover perspective.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anselin L, 1988. Spatial Econometrics: Methods and Models. Springer Sci. Business Media.

  • Anselin L, Florax RJ, 1995. Small Sample Properties of Tests for Spatial Dependence in Regression Models: Some Further Results, New Directions in Spatial Econometrics. Springer, 21–74.

  • Baek J, 2016. A new look at the FDI–income–energy–environment nexus: Dynamic panel data analysis of ASEAN. Energy Policy, 91: 22–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker R, Henderson V, 2000. Effects of air quality regulations on polluting industries. Journal of Political Economy, 108(2): 379–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Xu C, Li K et al., 2018. A gravity model and exploratory spatial data analysis of prefecture-scale pollutant and CO2 emissions in China. Ecological Indicators, 90: 554–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Lu J, Yu P, 2019. Does technology innovation reduce environmental pollution? Empirical research based on 285 Chinese cities. Journal of Xi’an Jiaotong University (Social Sciences), 39(1): 73–84. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Y, Wang Z, Ye X et al., 2014. Spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon intensity from energy consumption in China. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 24(4): 631–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung K Y, Ping L, 2004. Spillover effects of FDI on innovation in China: Evidence from the provincial data. China Economic Review, 15(1): 25–44. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole M A, Elliott R J R, 2003. Determining the trade-environment composition effect: The role of capital, labor and environmental regulations. Journal of Environmental Economics & Management, 46(3): 363–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copeland B R, Taylor M S, 2004. Trade, growth, and the environment. Journal of Economic Literature, 42(1): 7–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demsetz H, 2004. The core disagreement between Pigou, the profession, and Coase in the analyses of the externality question. European Journal of Political Economy, 12(4): 565–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du Y, Sun T, Peng J et al., 2018. Direct and spillover effects of urbanization on PM2.5 concentrations in China’s top three urban agglomerations. Journal of Cleaner Production, 190: 72–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du Y, Wan Q, Liu H et al., 2019. How does urbanization influence PM2.5 concentrations? Perspective of spillover effect of multi-dimensional urbanization impact. Journal of Cleaner Production, 220: 974–983.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duc T A, Vachaud G, Bonnet M P et al., 2007. Experimental investigation and modelling approach of the impact of urban wastewater on a tropical river: A case study of the Nhue River, Hanoi, Viet Nam. Journal of Hydrology, 334(3): 347–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elhorst J P, 2010. Applied spatial econometrics: Raising the bar. Spatial Economic Analysis, 5(1): 9–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elhorst J P, 2014. Spatial Regressions: From Cross-Sectional Data to Spatial Panels. Heidelberg: Springer, New York Dordrecht London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman G M, Krueger A B, 1995. Economic growth and the environment. NBER Working Papers, 110(2): 353–377.

    Google Scholar 

  • Han L, Zhou W, Li W, 2015. City as a major source area of fine particulate (PM2.5) in China. Environmental Pollution, 206: 183–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hao Y, Zheng S Q, Zhao M Y et al., 2020. Reexamining the relationships among urbanization, industrial structure, and environmental pollution in China: New evidence using the dynamic threshold panel model. Energy Reports, 6: 28–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hosoe M, Naito T, 2006. Trans-boundary pollution transmission and regional agglomeration effects. Papers in Regional Science, 85(1): 99–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hou B, Ma R F, Dou S M, 2018. Environmental scale effects on economic development of urban agglomeration in Yangtze River Delta. Journal of Ningbo University (Natural Science & Engineering Edition), 31(2): 108–114. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang X Y, 2014. The analysis of spatial spillover effects in regional tourism economic: A case study on Sichuan province [D]. Chengdu: Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ji Y J, Shao H Z, 2018. The impact of industrial agglomeration on environmental pollution: Aggravation or restraint. Economy and Management, 32(3): 59–64. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jia Z, Qiang W, Wang Y et al., 2020. The spatial characteristics and spatial effect of industrial pollution agglomeration in Lanzhou-Xining Urban Agglomeration. Economic Geography, 40: 68–75, 84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kou D, 2021. A study on the relationship between industrial agglomeration mode and environmental pollution. Economic Survey, 38(4): 73–82. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Leeuw F A A M D, Moussiopoulos N, Sahm P et al., 2001. Urban air quality in larger conurbations in the European Union. Environmental Modelling & Software, 16(4): 399–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesage J P, 2014. Spatial econometric panel data model specification: A Bayesian approach. Social Science Electronic Publishing, 9: 122–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lesage J P, Sheng Y, 2014. A spatial econometric panel data examination of endogenous versus exogenous interaction in Chinese province-level patenting. Journal of Geographical Systems, 16(3): 233–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, 2017. Urbanization, institutional arrangement and regional environmental pollution [D]. Changsha: Hunan University. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li L Z, Fu Z Q, Wang Y H et al., 2017. Empirical study on manufacturing transfer and environmental impacts in Jing-Jin-Ji region. Research of Environmental Sciences, 30(12): 1813–1821.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Q, 2018. Has industrial upgrading promoted the ecological environment optimization of the Yangtze River Economic Belt? Based on the urban panel data of 108 cities. Finance and Trade Research, 29(12): 39–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Wang S, 2014. An empirical test of the impact of industrial agglomeration on China’s industrial pollution emissions. Statistics & Decision, (8): 128–130. (in Chinese)

  • Liu F, Liu C, 2019. Regional disparity, spatial spillover effects of urbanization and carbon emissions in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 241: 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu G Y, Yang Z F, Tang Y C et al., 2017. Spatial correlation model of economy-energy-pollution interactions: The role of river water as a link between production sites and urban areas. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 69: 1018–1028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Fang C, Huang J et al., 2018. The spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of air pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration. Acta Geographica Sinica, 73(1): 177–191. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Liu B, Zheng S, 2019. The impact of environmental regulation on manufacturing upgrading. China Soft Science, (5): 40–52. (in Chinese)

  • Liu H J, Liu C M, Yang Q, 2015. Spatial spillover and the source of environment pollution: Empirical study on the perspective of network analysis. Economist, (10): 28–35.

  • Liu M, Chen H, Xu Y, 2021. Study on the effect of environmental regulation on industrial pollution spillover: Empirical evidence from 285 cities nationwide. Economic Geography, 41(2): 194–202. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu M F, Xie H J, 2014. The convergence research of economy aggregation and pollution aggregation among China’s provinces. Economic Geography, 34(4): 25–32. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu N, Sun Y, Tang J et al., 2019. The environmental effects of pollution-intensive industry agglomeration based on the perspective of spatial spillover. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 39(7): 2442–2454. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu S, Zhang J, 2019. Space distance, spillover effect and environmental pollution. Inquiry into Economic Issues, (1): 149–158. (in Chinese)

  • Liu X, Li L, Ge J et al., 2019. Spatial spillover effects of environmental regulations on China’s haze pollution based on static and dynamic spatial panel data models. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 28(4): 2231–2241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng H, Zhang M, 2021. Environmental pollution, intensity of technological innovation and transformation and upgrading of industrial structure. Modern Economic Science, 43(4): 65–76. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Miao J, Guo H, 2019. The influence mechanism of industrial cooperative agglomeration on environmental pollution: An empirical study based on panel data of urban agglomeration in Yangtze River Delta. Modernization of Management, 39(3): 76–82. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulatu A, Gerlagh R, Rigby D et al., 2010. Environmental regulation and industry location in Europe. Environmental & Resource Economics, 45(4): 459–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan W, 2012. Regional linkages and spatial spillovers of economic growth in China. Economic Research Journal, (1): 54–65.

  • Porter M E, 1998. Clusters and the new economics of competition. Harvard Business Review, 76(6): 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qiu J L, Pan A L, Zhang G Z, 2018. Formal environmental regulation, informal environmental regulation and green merger and acquisition of heavily polluted enterprises. Social Sciences in Guangdong, (2): 51–59. (in Chinese)

  • Ran Q, Xu L, 2019. Environmental regulation, inter-provincial industrial transfer and pollution spillover effect: Based on spatial Durbin model and dynamic threshold panel model. East China Economic Management, 33(7): 5–13. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sapkota P, Bastola U, 2017. Foreign direct investment, income, and environmental pollution in developing countries: Panel data analysis of Latin America. Energy Economics, 64: 206–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao S, Yang Z, Yang L et al., 2019. Can China’s energy intensity constraint policy promote total factor energy efficiency? Evidence from the industrial sector. The Energy Journal, 40(4): 101–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tobler W R, 1979. Lattice tuning. Geographical Analysis, 11(1): 36–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Virkanen J, 1998. Effect of urbanization on metal deposition in the bay of Töölönlahti, Southern Finland. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 36(9): 729–738.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Hong G, Qin T et al., 2019. Factors governing the willingness to pay for air pollution treatment: A case study in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Journal of Cleaner Production, 235: 1304–1314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, 2018. Empirical research on the impact of industrial agglomeration on environmental pollution: Based on the panel data of prefecture-level city [D]. Hangzhou: Zhejiang University. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Meng D, 2019. Study on the environmental effects of industrial transformation under the haze spillover: Empirical analysis based on Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and 31 surrounding cities. Ecological Economy, 35(1): 144–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Li Y, 2020. Research on measurement and improvement path of industrial green development in China: A perspective of environmental welfare efficiency. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27: 42738–42749.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Tian G, Yang D et al., 2018. Responses of PM2. 5 pollution to urbanization in China. Energy Policy, 123: 602–610. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Jia H F, Xu T et al., 2018. Manufacturing industrial structure and pollutant emission: An empirical study of China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 197(1): 462–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu H, Li Y, Hao Y et al., 2020. Environmental decentralization, local government competition, and regional green development: evidence from China. Science of The Total Environment, 708: 135085.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao Z, Shen Z, 2019. The temporal and spatial evolution of population & industrial agglomeration and environmental pollution and the relevance analysis. Journal of Arid Land Resources and Environment, 33(2): 3–10. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiong L, de Jong M, Wang F et al., 2018. Spatial spillover effects of environmental pollution in China’s Central Plains Urban Agglomeration. Sustainability, 10(4): 994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng D Z, Zhao L, 2009. Pollution havens and industrial agglomeration. Journal of Environmental Economics & Management, 58(2): 141–153. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X, Huang X, Liu Y, 2012. Spatial autocorrelation analysis of Chinese inter-provincial industrial chemical oxygen demand discharge. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9: 2031–2044.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong J, Wei Y, 2019. Spatial effects of industrial agglomeration and open economy on pollution abatement. China Population, Resources and Environment, 29(5): 98–107. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou K, Fan J, Liu H C, 2017. Spatiotemporal patterns and driving forces of water pollutant discharge in the Bohai Rim Region. Progress in Geography, 36(2): 171–181. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou K, Liu H C, Wang Q, 2019. The impact of economic agglomeration on water pollutant emissions from the perspective of spatial spillover effects. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 29(12): 2015–2030.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Foundation: The Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.XDA23020101; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41901181

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yufan Chen, Yong Xu & Fuyuan Wang

  2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yufan Chen & Yong Xu

Authors
  1. Yufan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yong Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fuyuan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fuyuan Wang.

Additional information

Author

Chen Yufan (1994–), PhD Candidate, specialized in environmental economy and sustainable development. E-mail: chenyf.16s@igsnrr.ac.cn

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, Y., Xu, Y. & Wang, F. Air pollution effects of industrial transformation in the Yangtze River Delta from the perspective of spatial spillover. J. Geogr. Sci. 32, 156–176 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-021-1929-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-021-1929-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation