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How an energy policy prevents child migration: A natural experiment of the coal-to-gas policy in China

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  • Zhu, Yuxin
  • Liu, Ziming
  • Hermann, Daniel

Abstract

Energy policies are designed to improve human living conditions and then attract in-migration. Yet, when energy policies are implemented assertively, they generate unexpected impacts. In this paper, we investigate the impact of an energy policy - the Chinese coal-to-gas policy - on child migration, using data from seven rounds of nationwide surveys of labor migrants from 2012 to 2018. We find a significant and negative effect of the coal-to-gas policy on child migration. The negative effect is greater for poorer families and those with fewer years of migration. We conclude that the assertive implementation of the coal-to-gas policy aggravates the difficulty of migrant children to settle down. We highlight the potential downside of an assertive enforcement of energy policy.

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  • Zhu, Yuxin & Liu, Ziming & Hermann, Daniel, 2025. "How an energy policy prevents child migration: A natural experiment of the coal-to-gas policy in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:198:y:2025:i:c:s030142152400507x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114487
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