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Low Emission Zones for Better Health: Evidence from German Hospitals

Author

Listed:
  • Nico Pestel

    (Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Germany)

  • Florian Wozny

    (Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Germany)

Abstract

This paper studies health effects from restricting the access of high-emission vehicles to innercities by implementing Low Emission Zones. For identification, we exploit variation in the timing and the spatial distribution of the introduction of new Low Emission Zones across cities in Germany. We use detailed hospitalization data combined with geo-coded information on the coverage of Low Emission Zones. We find that Low Emission Zones significantly reduce levels of air pollution in urban areas and that these improvements in air quality translate into population health benefits. The number of diagnoses related to air pollution is significantly reduced for hospitals located within or in close proximity to a Low Emission Zone after it becomes effective. The results are mainly driven by reductions in chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Suggested Citation

  • Nico Pestel & Florian Wozny, 2019. "Low Emission Zones for Better Health: Evidence from German Hospitals," CINCH Working Paper Series 1904, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health.
    • Handle: RePEc:duh:wpaper:1904
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    File URL: https://cinch.uni-due.de/fileadmin/content/research/workingpaper/cinch-WP-2019-04.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Isaksen, Elisabeth T. & Johansen, Bjørn G., 2025. "Congestion pricing with electric vehicle exemptions: Car-ownership effects and other behavioral adjustments," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    2. Luis Sarmiento & Nicole Wägner & Aleksandar Zaklan, 2021. "Effectiveness, Spillovers, and Well-Being Effects of Driving Restriction Policies," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1947, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Margaryan, Shushanik, 2021. "Low emission zones and population health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Hannah Klauber & Felix Holub & Nicolas Koch & Nico Pestel & Nolan Ritter & Alexander Rohlf, 2024. "Killing Prescriptions Softly: Low Emission Zones and Child Health from Birth to School," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 220-248, May.
    5. Laura Hospido & Carlos Sanz & Ernesto Villanueva, 2023. "Air pollution: a review of its economic effects and policies to mitigate them," Occasional Papers 2301, Banco de España.
    6. Isaksen, Elisabeth T. & Johansen, Bjørn G., 2021. "Congestion pricing, air pollution, and individual-level behavioral responses," Memorandum 1/2021, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    7. Isaksen, Elisabeth & Johansen, Bjørn G., 2021. "Congestion pricing, air pollution, and individual-level behavioural responses," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111493, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Rohlf, Alexander & Holub, Felix & Koch, Nicolas & Ritter, Nolan, 2020. "The effect of clean air on pharmaceutical expenditures," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    9. Isphording, Ingo E. & Pestel, Nico, 2021. "Pandemic meets pollution: Poor air quality increases deaths by COVID-19," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    10. Helm, Ines & Koch, Nicolas & Rohlf, Alexander, 2023. "The effects of cash for clunkers on local air quality," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    11. repec:ajt:wcinch:73382 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Wozny, Florian, 2020. "Hospital Resources: Persistent Reallocation under Price Changes," IZA Discussion Papers 13256, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Fischer, Martin & Karlsson, Martin & Prodromidis, Nikolaos, 2021. "The Long-Term Effects of Hospital Deliveries," IZA Discussion Papers 14562, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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