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Dual effects of environmental regulation on PM2.5 pollution: evidence from 280 cities in China

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Abstract

Environmental regulation is considered an important means to solve PM2.5 pollution. Based on panel data of 280 cities in China from 2003 to 2016, this paper analyzes the dual effects of environmental regulation on PM2.5 pollution, namely, the direct effect and the indirect effect by three transmission channels of the technological innovation, industrial structure, and foreign direct investment (FDI). The impact of urban heterogeneity on the effects of environmental regulation is then examined. The study found that environmental regulation has a significant negative impact on PM2.5 pollution. In addition, environmental regulation can indirectly reduce PM2.5 pollution through technological innovation and industrial structure adjustment. However, it also restrains the environmental spillover effect of FDI, in this way exacerbating PM2.5 pollution. Urban heterogeneity factors such as geographical location, city size, and resource endowment have an impact on pollution control and the haze reduction effect of environmental regulation. Finally, based on the research conclusion, some suggestions are proposed for strengthening environmental regulation and reducing PM2.5 pollution.

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Data availability

The datasets used or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Young Scholars(No.71603202), the Shaanxi Soft Science Foundation (No.2019KRM129), the Shaanxi Province Education Department Philosophy and Social Science Key Institute Base Project (No. 19JZ048), the Shaanxi University Youth Innovation Team Project (Shaanjiao [2019] No.90), the Scientific Research Project of China (Xi’an) Institute for Silk Road Research (No. 2019YA08), and the Start-up Funds for Doctoral Research in Xi’an University of Technology (No. 105-256081503).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Western Collaborative Innovation Research Center for Energy Economy and Regional Development, Xi’an University of Finance and Economics, Xi’an, 710100, China

    Huiping Wang & Jiaxin Li

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  1. Huiping Wang
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  2. Jiaxin Li
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Huiping Wang and Jiaxin Li. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Huiping Wang. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Huiping Wang.

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Wang, H., Li, J. Dual effects of environmental regulation on PM2.5 pollution: evidence from 280 cities in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 47213–47226 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14011-4

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