Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction

[Objective] The synergistic enhancement of pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation serves as the general approach to promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. The importance of environmental information disclosure for ecological governance has beco...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: SHAO Hanhua, WANG Yaning
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Science Press, PR China 2024-01-01
Series:Ziyuan Kexue
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.resci.cn/fileup/1007-7588/PDF/1706861570594-1744266360.pdf
_version_ 1797323834410401792
author SHAO Hanhua, WANG Yaning
author_facet SHAO Hanhua, WANG Yaning
author_sort SHAO Hanhua, WANG Yaning
collection DOAJ
description [Objective] The synergistic enhancement of pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation serves as the general approach to promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. The importance of environmental information disclosure for ecological governance has become increasingly evident, and assessing the pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction effects of environmental information disclosure provides a scientific evidence for the development of a green and low-carbon economy and society. [Methods] This study took Pollution Source Supervision Information Disclosure as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the panel data from 235 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2020, the study employed the difference-in-differences method to examine the impact of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation and mechanisms. [Results] (1) Environmental information disclosure led to a win-win situation for pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation. Specifically, this system had resulted in a relative decrease of 25.5% and 19.2% in pollution and carbon emissions levels, respectively, compared to the sample mean in pilot cities. (2) The carbon emission reduction effect of environmental information disclosure was more pronounced in resource-based cities and cities with stringent environmental regulations, and this effect exhibited a diminishing marginal trend as carbon emission levels increased. The pollution reduction effect of environmental information disclosure appeared relatively even and stable across different cities. (3) Green technological innovation, government financial support, and industrial structure upgrading were important mechanisms through which environmental information disclosure promoted pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation. (4) Low-carbon city pilot policies can strengthen the pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation effects of environmental information disclosure, while the reinforcing effect of carbon emission trading policies is not clearly evident. [Conclusion] This study accurately identified the key role of environmental information disclosure in facilitating pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation in cities, providing empirical evidence for improving environmental regulatory systems and strengthening coordinated emission reduction actions. Therefore, it is necessary to further enhance the depth and breadth of environmental information disclosure, design distinct and precise governance pathways, implement a comprehensive set of policies for pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation, and lay the foundation for advancing ecological civilization in the new era.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T05:33:51Z
format Article
id doaj.art-4a72a8460ab14676b75b2f8d83016e2f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1007-7588
language zho
last_indexed 2024-03-08T05:33:51Z
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Science Press, PR China
record_format Article
series Ziyuan Kexue
spelling doaj.art-4a72a8460ab14676b75b2f8d83016e2f2024-02-06T01:49:38ZzhoScience Press, PR ChinaZiyuan Kexue1007-75882024-01-01461385210.18402/resci.2024.01.04Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reductionSHAO Hanhua, WANG Yaning0School of Economics and Management, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China[Objective] The synergistic enhancement of pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation serves as the general approach to promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. The importance of environmental information disclosure for ecological governance has become increasingly evident, and assessing the pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction effects of environmental information disclosure provides a scientific evidence for the development of a green and low-carbon economy and society. [Methods] This study took Pollution Source Supervision Information Disclosure as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the panel data from 235 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2020, the study employed the difference-in-differences method to examine the impact of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation and mechanisms. [Results] (1) Environmental information disclosure led to a win-win situation for pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation. Specifically, this system had resulted in a relative decrease of 25.5% and 19.2% in pollution and carbon emissions levels, respectively, compared to the sample mean in pilot cities. (2) The carbon emission reduction effect of environmental information disclosure was more pronounced in resource-based cities and cities with stringent environmental regulations, and this effect exhibited a diminishing marginal trend as carbon emission levels increased. The pollution reduction effect of environmental information disclosure appeared relatively even and stable across different cities. (3) Green technological innovation, government financial support, and industrial structure upgrading were important mechanisms through which environmental information disclosure promoted pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation. (4) Low-carbon city pilot policies can strengthen the pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation effects of environmental information disclosure, while the reinforcing effect of carbon emission trading policies is not clearly evident. [Conclusion] This study accurately identified the key role of environmental information disclosure in facilitating pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation in cities, providing empirical evidence for improving environmental regulatory systems and strengthening coordinated emission reduction actions. Therefore, it is necessary to further enhance the depth and breadth of environmental information disclosure, design distinct and precise governance pathways, implement a comprehensive set of policies for pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation, and lay the foundation for advancing ecological civilization in the new era.https://www.resci.cn/fileup/1007-7588/PDF/1706861570594-1744266360.pdf|environmental information disclosure|pollution and carbon emission reduction|collaborative governance|policy mix|difference-in-differences method|heterogeneity|china
spellingShingle SHAO Hanhua, WANG Yaning
Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction
Ziyuan Kexue
|environmental information disclosure|pollution and carbon emission reduction|collaborative governance|policy mix|difference-in-differences method|heterogeneity|china
title Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction
title_full Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction
title_fullStr Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction
title_full_unstemmed Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction
title_short Effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction
title_sort effects of environmental information disclosure on pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction
topic |environmental information disclosure|pollution and carbon emission reduction|collaborative governance|policy mix|difference-in-differences method|heterogeneity|china
url https://www.resci.cn/fileup/1007-7588/PDF/1706861570594-1744266360.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT shaohanhuawangyaning effectsofenvironmentalinformationdisclosureonpollutionreductionandcarbonemissionreduction