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Does Regional Integration Improve Carbon Emission Performance?—A Quasi-Natural Experiment on Regional Integration in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

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  • Kunpeng Ai

    (School of Political Science and Public Administration, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China)

  • Ning Xu

    (School of Political Science and Public Administration, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China)

Abstract

Carbon emission performance (CEP) comprehensively considers the four-dimensional factors of “carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth” and constitutes a key indicator for low-carbon and high-quality development. Although some studies have previously explored the relationship between regional integration and carbon emissions from different perspectives, it remains unclear how regional integration affects carbon emission performance. This article regards the regional integration construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt as a quasi-natural experiment and uses the difference-in-difference (DID) model to empirically examine the mechanisms behind regional integration and their impact on carbon emission performance. The results show that regional integration significantly promotes improvements in carbon emission performance, primarily through three transmission mechanisms: resource factor allocation, economies of scale, and green innovation. It can also promote improvements in carbon emission performance in high-level carbon emission performance cities, middle- and downstream cities, non-natural-resource-oriented cities, and non-riverside cities. This article provides theoretical and empirical evidence that can be utilized to promote China’s high-quality, low-carbon transformation through regional integration construction in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Suggested Citation

  • Kunpeng Ai & Ning Xu, 2023. "Does Regional Integration Improve Carbon Emission Performance?—A Quasi-Natural Experiment on Regional Integration in the Yangtze River Economic Belt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:20:p:15154-:d:1265219
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    Cited by:

    1. He, Yu & Zhang, Xiaoqi & Zheng, Huan, 2025. "Impact of the Yangtze River economic belt on high-quality economic development in China: Evidence from a spatial difference-in-differences model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    2. Shang Chen & Yuanhe Du & Yeye Liu, 2025. "Regional Integration and Urban Green and Low-Carbon Development: A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the Expansion of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-34, April.
    3. Tinglei Hao & Jiajie Ren & Chuanming Sun & Lu Chen & Tao Liu, 2024. "Cultural Industry Agglomeration and Carbon Emission Performance: Empirical Analysis Based on 276 Cities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-20, October.

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