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Top-down environmental quality regulation and boundary pollution control: Evidence in boundary towns of China

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  • Lin, Weifen
  • Du, Longzheng

Abstract

Controlling pollutant emissions around political boundaries remains a challenging issue. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the top-down environmental quality monitoring policy of automatic air quality monitoring stations in managing boundary pollution. Using firm-level pollution data between 2007 and 2014 and a staggered difference-in-differences design, the results demonstrate that central government-implemented air quality monitoring stations effectively reduce emissions around political boundaries. Key mechanisms driving this reduction include enhanced government motivation and regional governments’ collaborative pollution prevention. This study underscores the critical role of top-down environmental policies in addressing boundary pollution challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Weifen & Du, Longzheng, 2025. "Top-down environmental quality regulation and boundary pollution control: Evidence in boundary towns of China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:194:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325002231
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115400
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