IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/enejou/v43y2022i4p27-44.html

Distinguishing the Complex Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Environmental Pollution: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Jianxun Chen
  • Hui Tan
  • Yingran Ma

Abstract

We attempt to investigate how and when foreign direct investment (FDI) impacts different types of environmental pollution in host countries. Using provincial data from China between 1995 and 2015, we find that FDI mitigates air pollution, yet it has insignificant effect on water and solid pollution. We further reveal that it is the combination of the technology, scale and structure effects that jointly determines the impact of FDI on environmental pollution. Among them, the technology effect takes the most dominant role, followed by the scale effect and structure effect. In addition, by considering the time effect on environmental policy change, we suggest that the pollution halo effect mainly occurs after air pollution policy revision.Our findings provide insight on the complex mechanisms and theoretical boundary of FDI on different types of environmental pollutants.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianxun Chen & Hui Tan & Yingran Ma, 2022. "Distinguishing the Complex Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Environmental Pollution: Evidence from China," The Energy Journal, , vol. 43(4), pages 27-44, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:43:y:2022:i:4:p:27-44
    DOI: 10.5547/01956574.43.4.jche
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5547/01956574.43.4.jche
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.5547/01956574.43.4.jche?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. repec:aen:eeepjl:eeep5-2-qin is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Jitao Tang, 2015. "Testing the Pollution Haven Effect: Does the Type of FDI Matter?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 60(4), pages 549-578, April.
    3. Olney, William W., 2013. "A race to the bottom? Employment protection and foreign direct investment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 191-203.
    4. Lutao Ning & Fan Wang, 2018. "Does FDI Bring Environmental Knowledge Spillovers to Developing Countries? The Role of the Local Industrial Structure," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 71(2), pages 381-405, October.
    5. repec:aen:eeepjl:eeep6-2-karplus is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Adam B. Jaffe et al., 1995. "Environmental Regulation and the Competitiveness of U.S. Manufacturing: What Does the Evidence Tell Us?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 33(1), pages 132-163, March.
    7. repec:aen:journl:ej41-3-garsous is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Natalia Zugravu-Soilita, 2017. "How does Foreign Direct Investment Affect Pollution? Toward a Better Understanding of the Direct and Conditional Effects," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 66(2), pages 293-338, February.
    9. Omri, Anis & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Rault, Christophe, 2014. "Causal interactions between CO2 emissions, FDI, and economic growth: Evidence from dynamic simultaneous-equation models," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 382-389.
    10. Eskeland, Gunnar S. & Harrison, Ann E., 2003. "Moving to greener pastures? Multinationals and the pollution haven hypothesis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 1-23, February.
    11. Ulrich Wagner & Christopher Timmins, 2009. "Agglomeration Effects in Foreign Direct Investment and the Pollution Haven Hypothesis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 43(2), pages 231-256, June.
    12. Cheung Kui-yin & Lin, Ping, 2004. "Spillover effects of FDI on innovation in China: Evidence from the provincial data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 25-44.
    13. Hettige, Hemamala & Mani, Muthukumara & Wheeler, David, 2000. "Industrial pollution in economic development: the environmental Kuznets curve revisited," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 445-476, August.
    14. Judith M. Dean & Mary E. Lovely & Hua Wang, 2017. "Are foreign investors attracted to weak environmental regulations? Evaluating the evidence from China," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Mary E Lovely (ed.), International Economic Integration and Domestic Performance, chapter 9, pages 155-167, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    15. Antoci, Angelo & Borghesi, Simone & Russu, Paolo & Ticci, Elisa, 2015. "Foreign direct investments, environmental externalities and capital segmentation in a rural economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 341-353.
    16. Sapkota, Pratikshya & Bastola, Umesh, 2017. "Foreign direct investment, income, and environmental pollution in developing countries: Panel data analysis of Latin America," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 206-212.
    17. Yuquing Xing & Charles Kolstad, 2002. "Do Lax Environmental Regulations Attract Foreign Investment?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 21(1), pages 1-22, January.
    18. He, Jie, 2006. "Pollution haven hypothesis and environmental impacts of foreign direct investment: The case of industrial emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Chinese provinces," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 228-245, November.
    19. Hübler, Michael & Keller, Andreas, 2010. "Energy savings via FDI? Empirical evidence from developing countries," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 59-80, 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. Chen, Xue & Wang, Qiao & Zhou, Junting, 2025. "Construction of smart city and enhancement of urban convenience: A quasi-natural experiment based on a smart city pilot," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    2. Xiaoxiao Zhou & Junjie Lin & Hua Zhang & Umer Shahzad, 2025. "The Effects of Regional Banks on Carbon Emissions: A Quasi-Natural Experiment of City Commercial Banks in China," The Energy Journal, , vol. 46(3), pages 123-163, May.
    3. Yi Qu & Chengang Wang & Yingqi Wei & Lichao Wu & Nan Zheng, 2024. "Does Eco-Innovation of Emerging Market Firms Benefit from Knowledge Spillovers of MNC in a Multi-dimensional Task Environment?," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 64(3), pages 527-565, June.

    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. Imad Moosa, 2019. "The Environmental Effects of FDI: Evidence from MENA Countries," Working Papers 1321, Economic Research Forum, revised 21 Aug 2019.
    2. Natalia Zugravu-Soilita, 2017. "How does Foreign Direct Investment Affect Pollution? Toward a Better Understanding of the Direct and Conditional Effects," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 66(2), pages 293-338, February.
    3. Bu, Maoliang & Li, Shuang & Jiang, Lei, 2019. "Foreign direct investment and energy intensity in China: Firm-level evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 366-376.
    4. Tang, Chor Foon & Abosedra, Salah & Naghavi, Navaz, 2021. "Does the quality of institutions and education strengthen the quality of the environment? Evidence from a global perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    5. Zugravu-Soilita, Natalia, "undated". "Trade in Environmental Goods: Empirical Exploration of Direct and Indirect Effects on Pollution by Country’s Trade Status," EIA: Climate Change: Economic Impacts and Adaptation 266287, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    6. Wen Jun & Muhammad Zakaria & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad & Hamid Mahmood, 2018. "Effect of FDI on Pollution in China: New Insights Based on Wavelet Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, October.
    7. Abay Mulatu, 2017. "The Structure of UK Outbound FDI and Environmental Regulation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(1), pages 65-96, September.
    8. Maoliang Bu & Marcus Wagner, 2016. "Racing to the bottom and racing to the top: The crucial role of firm characteristics in foreign direct investment choices," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(9), pages 1032-1057, December.
    9. Mohamed Ali Hfaiedh & Wajdi Bardi, 2021. "Does FDI and Corruption affect Environmental Quality in Tunisia?," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(4), pages 267-275.
    10. Lorena D’Agostino, 2015. "How MNEs respond to environmental regulation: integrating the Porter hypothesis and the pollution haven hypothesis," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 32(2), pages 245-269, August.
    11. Debashis Chakraborty & Sacchidananda Mukherjee, 2013. "Do Trade and Investment Flows Lead to Higher CO2 Emissions? Some Panel Estimation Results," Working Papers 1321, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
    12. Baomin Dong & Jiong Gong & Xin Zhao, 2012. "FDI and environmental regulation: pollution haven or a race to the top?," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 216-237, April.
    13. Özge Barış-Tüzemen & Samet Tüzemen, 2022. "The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment and Biomass Energy Consumption on Pollution in BRICS Countries: A Panel Data Analysis," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 14(1), pages 76-92, January.
    14. Assad Ullah & Xinshun Zhao & Muhammad Abdul Kamal & Jiajia Zheng, 2022. "Environmental regulations and inward FDI in China: Fresh evidence from the asymmetric autoregressive distributed lag approach," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 1340-1356, January.
    15. Masako Ikefuji & Jun-ichi Itaya & Makoto Okamura, 2016. "Optimal Emission Tax with Endogenous Location Choice of Duopolistic Firms," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(2), pages 463-485, October.
    16. Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Misato Sato, 2017. "The Impacts of Environmental Regulations on Competitiveness," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 11(2), pages 183-206.
    17. Wang, Hao & Luo, Qi, 2022. "Can a colonial legacy explain the pollution haven hypothesis? A city-level panel analysis," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 482-495.
    18. Wajdi Bardi & Mohamed Ali Hfaiedh, 2021. "Causal Interaction between FDI, Corruption and Environmental Quality in the MENA Region," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, February.
    19. Saussay, Aurélien & Zugravu-Soilita, Natalia, 2023. "International production chains and the pollution offshoring hypothesis: An empirical investigation," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    20. Jing Lan & Makoto Kakinaka & Xianguo Huang, 2012. "Foreign Direct Investment, Human Capital and Environmental Pollution in China," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 51(2), pages 255-275, 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:sae:enejou:v:43:y:2022:i:4:p:27-44. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.