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Environmental decentralization and carbon emissions: evidence from China

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Abstract

A robust environmental management system holds great significance for the Chinese government in effectively managing the country’s carbon emissions. This study delves into the spatial impact of environmental decentralization on the carbon emissions of 30 Chinese provinces spanning from 2000 to 2019. First, we found that the increase in environmental decentralization promotes carbon emissions, and this effect is primarily driven by the delegation of environmental monitoring authority and environmental supervision authority. Second, we analyzed the heterogeneity of the carbon emission effects of environmental decentralization across different regions and observed that the impact of environmental decentralization is more significant in the western region compared to the central and eastern regions. Furthermore, this study investigates how the industrial structure, government competition, and environmental regulation exert an influence on the carbon emission effects of environmental decentralization. This article presents empirical evidence from the perspective of environmental management systems that underscores the rapid escalation of carbon emissions. Additionally, it contributes to an enhanced comprehension of the economic ramifications linked to the process of environmental decentralization. At the same time, the conclusions of this article have significant practical implications for the rational design of levels of environmental decentralization, thereby accelerating the achievement of carbon neutrality.

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Data availability

The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Notes

  1. Notice from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China on the Issuance of the “14th Five-Year Plan for Industrial Green Development,” https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-12/03/content_5655701.htm.

Abbreviations

GDP :

Gross domestic product

IPCC :

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

ED :

Environmental decentralization

ESD :

Environmental supervision decentralization

EAD :

Environmental administrative decentralization

EMD :

Environmental monitoring decentralization

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Funding

This study is funded by the Ministry of Education's Youth Fund Project for Humanities and Social Sciences Research (Grant No.23YJC790161), Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. 23EYC011), “Youth Innovation Talent Introduction and Cultivation Program” of Shandong Province’s higher education institutions (Fiscal Research and Innovation Team), National Social Science Fund Project (Grant No. 19CJY057).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Finance and Taxation, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China

    Chao Xu

  2. School of Finance, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China

    Yilin Qi

  3. School of Economics, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China

    Yun Zhu

  4. School of Public Finance and Taxation, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing, China

    Yumeng Pang

Authors
  1. Chao Xu
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Contributions

Chao Xu: contributed to the conception of the study; formulation of overarching research goals and aims; critical review; Yumeng Pang: writing the initial draft; Yilin Qi: literature search; creation of models; data analysis; Yun Zhu: data acquisition; data analysis.

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Correspondence to Yumeng Pang.

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Xu, C., Qi, Y., Zhu, Y. et al. Environmental decentralization and carbon emissions: evidence from China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 123193–123213 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-31021-6

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