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Rapid developments in environmental infrastructure have contributed to significant improvements in green total factor productivity, but further investigation is required to provide a detailed assessment to understand the policy mechanisms involved. This paper analyzes environmental progress in China through MMQR, CCEMG, and AMG as empirical strategies for 30 provinces in China. Our empirical results reveal that energy optimization through renewable energy is the most effective channel to improve green total factor productivity, though it is not the only available option. Since environmental regulations, infrastructure development, and green technology innovation also directly impact energy efficiency, adopting these within policy channels will positively impact environmental sustainability. Our empirical approach helps suggest novel environmental policy suggestions. In particular, policymakers must introduce structural changes within energy developments to foster renewable energy. Furthermore, China must increase environmental spending to upgrade its energy infrastructure further and solve ecological issues. These insights offer valuable policy guidance for decision-makers in China and globally, aiming to foster economic and environmental sustainability and achieve zero-carbon transition goals. • The current study analyses the role of green factor productivity in zero carbon transition. • We use 30 chinese provincial datasets from 2005 to 2020. • Energy transition is the most effective channel to improve green total factor productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the unique perspective of local environmental regulations promulgated in Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2000 to 2018, this paper examines the impact of urban environmental legislation on green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE). The results show that implementing environmental legislation significantly improves local GTFEE , with comprehensive protection regulations contributing to local energy efficiency improvements, while the impact of pollution prevention regulations is insignificant. This conclusion remains robust to multiple scenarios. Potential mechanisms through which environmental legislation can guide urban green transition include the industrial upgrading effect represented by "clean industry development" and "polluting industry exit", as well as the technical innovation effect achieved through "new technology generation" and "old technology upgrading". Furthermore, environmental legislation with a higher degree of regulatory effectiveness has a greater potential for energy saving. Environmental legislation has a more significant impact on improving GTFEE in cities in non-old industrial bases, with less frequent turnover of officials, and in central and western regions in China. This study evaluates the positive impact of urban environmental legislation on GTFEE , aiming to advancing the rule of law in local environmental pollution governance and thereby promote urban green transition. • Use a Difference-in-Differences model to explore the effect of urban environmental legislation. • Environmental legislation guides urban green transition development. • The impact of heterogeneous urban environmental regulations on green transition development. • Industrial upgrading and Technical innovation have positive mediating roles. • Environmental legislation policy has city attributes, official turnover and location heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining time variations, cross-province variations in policy intensity, and variations in pollution intensity across industries, we estimate the impact of environmental regulation on firm exports. We find that in more pollution-intensive industries, stricter environmental regulation reduces both the probability that a firm will export and the volume of exports. Heterogeneous tests show that the impact is smaller for SOE firms and for firms located in the central and western part of China. We also find that the reduced probability that a firm will export is driven by a decline in non-exporters entering the export market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese government has made great efforts in air pollutant reduction and carried out strict regulation policies. Since numerous air pollutants and CO 2 tend to have the same root, source, and process, recent studies argue that environmental regulation may also contribute to reducing carbon emissions. To investigate how various types of environmental regulations affect carbon emissions reduction, this paper constructs the spatial Durbin model and panel threshold model based on provincial panel data in China during 2003–2019. The main findings are as follows: First, China's net carbon emissions show a decreasing trend from east to west, displaying significant spatial agglomeration characteristics. Then, formal and informal environmental regulations have inverted U-shaped impacts on net carbon emissions. The "green paradox" and "reverse emission reduction" effects come into play at different stages. Finally, the threshold model reveals that with the improvement of regional technological innovation levels, the carbon-reducing effect of environmental regulation will increasingly come to the fore. These research findings are conducive to providing theoretical guidance for government to formulate and implement environmental regulation policies rationally. • Carbon sink effect is considered in the carbon emissions assessment framework. • The spatial spillover and threshold effects of environmental regulation is studied. • Environmental regulation has an inverted U-shaped impact on net carbon emissions. • Technological innovation level exerts a threshold effect between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the drivers of distribution of pollution-intensive enterprises (PIEs) at the intraurban level that are less studied. Employing the complete spatial database of PIEs obtained from the National Economic Census of 2004, 2008, and 2013, the paper analyses the spatial restructuring of PIEs within Foshan, China, a typical manufacturing city in transition. We find that the changing role of environmental regulation induced by the environmental policy regime transformation has resulted in the siting strategy shift of PIEs, and both the 'Pollution Haven Hypothesis' and the 'Porter Hypothesis' have been overly simplified in the research conducted at the regional or global level. Based on the Foshan case, we further conceptualize the pattern of spatial restructuring of PIEs that would help to understand the fast green economy transition taking place in Chinese cities, followed by some policy and research implications. • The relocation and drivers of polluting firms at a local level are studied. • The environmental policy regime shift leads to the siting strategy shift of firms. • Polluting firms initially seek a pollution haven before 2008. • New firms after 2008 site in areas with strict environmental regulation. • The local government motivation is more important in the Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions is essential for the design and decision-making of the other policy combinations. In this paper, the panel data from 30 provinces in China during 2000–2019 are used as samples to investigate the heterogeneity of different policy combinations and compare the differences using a Bayesian non-parametric generalized additive quantile method. The research results imply that the environmental regulation policy synergy has a significant heterogeneous effect on carbon emissions on different levels. Specifically, the effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions has an inverted U-shape trend at the low quintiles, i.e., before the turning point, it shows a "green paradox" effect, and after the turning point, it shows an "emission reduction" effect. However, the effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions shows a significant N-shape trend at the high quintiles, i.e., before the second turning point, it shows an "emission reduction" effect, and after the second turning point, it shows a "green paradox" effect. Moreover, the effect of environmental regulation policy combinations on carbon emissions reduction has been found to vary significantly across regions. • Effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions is explored. • The mediating role of industrial structure is considered. • The effect of ERPS on CE has an inverted U-shape trend at the low quintiles, which shows a significant N-shape trend at the high quintiles. • Significant difference in the efficiency for implementation of ERPS in regions with different levels of CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study environmental regulation and its role for trade in China. Specifically, we assess the effectiveness of an environmental policy in China that introduced stricter regulations on sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions in targeted cities. To identify the causal effect of this policy on exports, we use sectoral export data for a panel of Chinese cities and exploit variations in exports between cities and sectors, over time, and, in a second step, between firm types. We find a relative fall in sectoral exports in targeted cities after the implementation of the policy, which is sharper the more polluting the industry. Further, we find that the observed effect is mainly driven by privately owned firms, whereas exports of state-owned firms seem to be unaffected by the new policy. This finding is consistent with the preferential political treatment of state-owned firms in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of environmental regulations on the nexus between financial development and biased technological innovation is a prerequisite for optimizing systems of environmental and financial policies to gain sustainable development goals (SDGs) in emerging markets. Drawing on China's city-level data from 2003 to 2018, we established econometric models and obtained the following empirical results. Financial development (FD) can promote energy- and environmental-biased technological progress, but, owing to the inverted U-shaped relationship, economic development, and resource endowment, the impact that FD has on biased technological progress is heterogeneous; unreasonable FD will also hinder green technological progress. Threshold model shows that with the improvement of environmental regulation, the impact of energy- and environmental-biased technological progress is also increasing. The development of green finance under SDGs is an important driving force in green technological progress. Finally, we offer suggestions to optimize environmental and financial policymaking and implementation from a government intervention perspective. [Display omitted] • It is important to optimize environmental and financial policies to gain SDGs. • Environmental policies are affected by technological and financial developments. • Financial development (FD) promotes energy- and environmental-technological growth. • Due to an inverted U-shaped relationship biased FD hinders green technology growth. • Green finance development under SDGs will drive green technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese government adopted a new environmental program during "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" period. Whether this program can achieve its goal of pollution reduction and quality improvement for exports is of vital importance for China's sustainable development. This paper constructs a quasi-difference-in-difference (DID) framework to identify the effects of the new environmental policy on export product quality by using highly disaggregated trade transaction data at the product level. Empirical results show that the implementation of pollution reduction targets is negatively correlated with export product quality. This negative impact is more profound in western regions, capital-intensive industries, privately owned firms and firms exporting to countries which are not members of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development group. In addition, our extended analysis shows that the negative effects can be mitigated through product switching within the firms. The major policy implication is that local governments should take proper measures to strengthen the effects of innovation offsets caused by environmental regulation and effectively utilize the induced effects of environmental regulation on product switching. The goal is to achieve a win-win outcome for environmental protection and improvement in export product quality. • Pollution reduction enforcement significantly reduces export product quality. • Innovation can be an offsetting force for this negative impact. • The negative effects can be mitigated through product switching within the firms. • There are variations across regions, sectors and ownership. • Environmental regulation should accommodate these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental regulation (ER) is regarded as an important driver of environmental improvement. Taking China's non-ferrous metals industry (NFMI) as a sample, this paper discusses the relationship between ER and energy environmental performance (EEPI) in two stages, and tests the effectiveness of the "strong" Porter hypothesis. In the first stage, this paper uses the global environment DEA to construct the competitiveness index, EEPI, which represents "green" development. In the second stage, we explore the relationship between two types of ER and EEPI by using the panel Tobit model and considers the non-linear characteristics of ER and regional heterogeneity. Moreover, a mechanism analysis is conducted. The results show that: (1) at a reasonable regulatory level, this study supports the "strong" Porter hypothesis in China's NFMI. (2) Technological innovation plays a mediating effect between environmental regulation and EEPI. (3) From a national perspective, there is a significant inverted U-shaped non-linear relationship between environmental expenditure and EEPI, and a significant U-shaped non-linear relationship between environmental investment and EEPI. (4) Regional samples present heterogeneous results between ER and EEPI. Based on the conclusions, we believe that environmental regulation policies should take into account regional differences and incorporate diversified green innovations to achieve sustainable development. • At a reasonable regulatory level, this study supports the "strong" Porter hypothesis. • 2. Take energy-environment performance index as the competitiveness indicator. • Significant inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental expenditure and EEPI. • Significant U-shaped relationship between environmental investment and EEPI. • Regional samples present obvious heterogeneous results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using firm establishment-level data combined with provincial socio-economic characteristic panel data in China for the period of 2011–2015, this study seeks to empirically examine the impact of environmental regulation on location choices of polluting firms. The results of the conditional logit model provide compelling evidence that environmental regulations do affect the location choice of firms in polluting industries. Instead of supporting the pollution haven effect, our results consistently confirm the Porter effect at the country level. This result is robust when taking endogeneity problem into account, adopting various model specifications and estimation strategies, using alternative measurements of environmental regulation and location choices, and subsampling excluding international political events. However, the results also show divergent effect of environmental regulation on location choices for heterogeneous firms. Specifically, polluting firms in eastern region prefer to invest in provinces with stringent environmental policies but those in other regions, especially in northeastern region, choose to locate in provinces with lax environmental regulation. While water-dependent polluting firms with a low level of footlooseness are more likely to enter locations with loose environmental regulation, air pollution-intensive firms tend to locate in provinces with tight environmental legislation. These results have policy implications for transitional China as well as other developing countries with similar experience. Image 1 • We study the impact of environmental regulation on polluting firms' location choices. • We employ conditional logit model to analyze the firm establishment-level data. • Our results consistently confirm Porter effect rather than pollution haven effect. • The result is robust to consider endogeneity problem and to various robustness tests. • Divergence effect of environmental regulation for heterogeneous firms is also discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]