School of Economics and Management, Southeast University, No.2 Dongnan University Road, Nanjing, 211189, PR China.
School of Economics and Management, Southeast University, No.2 Dongnan University Road, Nanjing, 211189, PR China; School of Business, Moutai Institute, China.
J Environ Manage. 2023 Nov 1;345:118813. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118813. Epub 2023 Aug 14.
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.
基于 2000 年至 2018 年中国地级市颁布的地方环境法规的独特视角，本文考察了城市环境立法对绿色全要素能源效率（GTFEE）的影响。结果表明，实施环境立法显著提高了当地的 GTFEE，综合保护法规有助于提高当地的能源效率，而污染预防法规的影响则不显著。这一结论在多种情景下仍然稳健。环境立法引导城市绿色转型的潜在机制包括“清洁产业发展”和“污染产业退出”所代表的产业升级效应，以及“新技术产生”和“旧技术升级”实现的技术创新效应。此外，监管效果较高的环境立法具有更大的节能潜力。环境立法对非老工业基地城市、官员更替频率较低的城市以及中国中西部地区提高 GTFEE 的影响更为显著。本研究评估了城市环境立法对 GTFEE 的积极影响，旨在推进地方环境污染治理的法治建设，从而促进城市的绿色转型。
