IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0259356.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of environmental regulation on green total factor productivity: An empirical analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Qin He
  • Yaowu Han
  • Lei Wang

Abstract

The transformation of China’s economy from extensive growth to high-quality development is essentially an increase in green total factor productivity (GTFP). China currently has a range of environmental regulation tools, and the question of whether environmental regulation can promote improvement in China’s GTFP requires theoretical and empirical analysis. This article first divides environmental regulation into three types: administrative, market-based and information-based. It then builds an empirical model of the effect of environmental regulation on GTFP. Slacks based measure-data envelope analysis (SBM-DEA) and the Malmquist index are used to measure the GTFP of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2018, and a measurement model of the impact of environmental regulation on GTFP is established. The results show that: (1) there are significant differences in GTFP in eastern, central and western China; (2) there is a non-linear relationship between environmental regulations and GTFP.

Suggested Citation

  • Qin He & Yaowu Han & Lei Wang, 2021. "The impact of environmental regulation on green total factor productivity: An empirical analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0259356
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259356
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259356
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259356&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0259356?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Li, Ke & Lin, Boqiang, 2016. "Impact of energy conservation policies on the green productivity in China’s manufacturing sector: Evidence from a three-stage DEA model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 351-363.
    2. Becker, Randy A. & Pasurka, Carl & Shadbegian, Ronald J., 2013. "Do environmental regulations disproportionately affect small businesses? Evidence from the Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures survey," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 523-538.
    3. Rubashkina, Yana & Galeotti, Marzio & Verdolini, Elena, 2015. "Environmental regulation and competitiveness: Empirical evidence on the Porter Hypothesis from European manufacturing sectors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 288-300.
    4. Khanna, Madhu & Quimio, Wilma Rose H. & Bojilova, Dora, 1998. "Toxics Release Information: A Policy Tool for Environmental Protection," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 243-266, November.
    5. Leiter, Andrea M. & Parolini, Arno & Winner, Hannes, 2011. "Environmental regulation and investment: Evidence from European industry data," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(4), pages 759-770, February.
    6. Becker, Randy A. & Pasurka, Carl & Shadbegian, Ronald J., 2013. "Do environmental regulations disproportionately affect small businesses? Evidence from the Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures survey," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 523-538.
    7. Tietenberg, Tom, 1998. "Ethical influences on the evolution of the US tradable permit approach to air pollution control," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2-3), pages 241-257, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhu, Bei & Nakaishi, Tomoaki & Kagawa, Shigemi, 2024. "Neighbor's profit or Neighbor's beggar? Evidence from China's low carbon cities pilot scheme on green development," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    2. Yan, Zhijun & Jia, Yuting & Zhang, Bingbing, 2024. "Environmental protection taxes and green productivity: Evidence from listed companies in China," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 48(4).
    3. Xiong, Su & Luo, Rong, 2023. "Investigating the relationship between digital trade, natural resources, energy transition, and green productivity: Moderating role of R&D investment," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xie, Ronghui & Teo, Thompson S.H., 2022. "Green technology innovation, environmental externality, and the cleaner upgrading of industrial structure in China — Considering the moderating effect of environmental regulation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    2. Jana Stoever & John P. Weche, 2018. "Environmental Regulation and Sustainable Competitiveness: Evaluating the Role of Firm-Level Green Investments in the Context of the Porter Hypothesis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 70(2), pages 429-455, June.
    3. Chen, Rushi & Howley, Peter & Kesidou, Effie, 2024. "The impact of ETS on productivity in developing economies: A micro-econometric evaluation with Chinese firm-level data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    4. Nikos Chatzistamoulou & George Diagourtas & Kostas Kounetas, 2017. "Do pollution abatement expenditures lead to higher productivity growth? Evidence from Greek manufacturing industries," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 19(1), pages 15-34, January.
    5. Xuesong Gu & Xiaoran An & Andong Liu, 2022. "Environmental Regulation, Corporate Economic Performance and Spatial Technology Spillover: Evidence from China’s Heavily Polluting Listed Corporations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-24, January.
    6. Hui Zou & Xuejun Duan & Lei Wang & Tingting Jin, 2022. "The effects of environmental regulation on chemical industry location: Evidence from the region along the Yangtze River, China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 800-822, June.
    7. Tonghui Lian & Tingyu Ma & Jie Cao & You Wu, 2016. "The effects of environmental regulation on the industrial location of China’s manufacturing," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 80(2), pages 1381-1403, January.
    8. Kurz, Antonia, 2024. "Within-country leakage due to the exemption of small emitters from emissions pricing," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    9. Petra Andries & Ute Stephan, 2019. "Environmental Innovation and Firm Performance: How Firm Size and Motives Matter," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-17, June.
    10. Niu, Xiaoyan & Zhang, Yuwen & Li, Baoqi & Chen, Zhenling & Ni, Guohua & Lyu, Ning, 2024. "How does carbon emission trading scheme affect enterprise market value? A roadmap towards natural resources sustainability," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    11. Consoli, Davide & Marin, Giovanni & Marzucchi, Alberto & Vona, Francesco, 2016. "Do green jobs differ from non-green jobs in terms of skills and human capital?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(5), pages 1046-1060.
    12. Carl Gaigné & Lota D. Tamini, 2021. "Environmental Taxation and Import Demand for Environmental Goods: Theory and Evidence from the European Union," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(2), pages 307-352, February.
    13. Junxiu Sun & Feng Wang & Haitao Yin & Rui Zhao, 2022. "Death or rebirth? How small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises respond to responsible investment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1749-1762, May.
    14. Yi Li & Lili Ding & Yongliang Yang, 2020. "Can the Introduction of an Environmental Target Assessment Policy Improve the TFP of Textile Enterprises? A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the Huai River Basin in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, February.
    15. Mertzanis, Charilaos & Hamill, Philip A. & Pavlopoulos, Athanasios & Houcine, Asma, 2024. "Sustainable investment conditions and corporate cash holdings in the MENA region: Market preparedness and Shari'ah-compliant funds," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PB), pages 1043-1063.
    16. Cenjie Liu & Zhongbao Zhou & Qing Liu & Rui Xie & Ximei Zeng, 2020. "Can a low-carbon development path achieve win-win development: evidence from China’s low-carbon pilot policy," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 1199-1219, October.
    17. Yamazaki, Akio, 2022. "Environmental taxes and productivity: Lessons from Canadian manufacturing," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    18. Weibing Li & Yongwen Yang, 2024. "The effect of environmental centralisation on productivity: Evidence from an administrative reform in China," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(2), pages 824-851, March.
    19. Neves, Sónia Almeida & Marques, António Cardoso & Patrício, Margarida, 2020. "Determinants of CO2 emissions in European Union countries: Does environmental regulation reduce environmental pollution?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 114-125.
    20. Die Li & Sumin Hu, 2021. "How Does Technological Innovation Mediate the Relationship between Environmental Regulation and High-Quality Economic Development? Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0259356. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.