Government environmental protection expenditure, green technology innovation and smog pollution

LI Zi-Hao; BAI Ting-Ting

PDF(438 KB)

Science Research Management ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2) : 52-63.

Government environmental protection expenditure, green technology innovation and smog pollution

Li Zihao, Bai Tingting

Author information +

History +

Abstract

Since the reform and opening up, China′s economy has achieved rapid growth, and the process of urbanization and industrialization has also brought serious ecological and environmental problems. The smog pollution problem represented by PM2.5 is particularly serious, which not only threatens people′s physical and mental health, but also hinders the sustainable development of the economy and society. As regional compound air pollution, smog pollution has the characteristics of spatial agglomeration, especially in key cities with relatively developed economies such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta. In order to achieve green development, the government has increased environmental protection spending, but the smog pollution situation has not been effectively curbed. Green technology innovation, as an important means to achieve economic growth and environmental protection, also plays an important role in reducing smog pollution. In addition, government environmental protection expenditures can promote the development of green technology innovation from a regulatory and incentive perspective to improve smog pollution. Therefore, smog control is the top priority of the “tough battle of pollution control". By increasing government environmental protection expenditures and improving green technology innovation, the effective management of smog pollution is an important issue of current academic concern.

Based on the data of 216 or 104 cities in China from 2008 to 2016, this paper uses panel space simultaneous equation estimation, dynamic panel threshold methods to systematically investigate the impact of local government environmental protection expenditure and green technology innovation on smog pollution. The main conclusions are as follows:(1) Increased local government environmental protection expenditures in local and neighboring areas can directly reduce local smog pollution; increased local government environmental protection expenditures can also indirectly reduce local smog pollution by promoting the development of green technology innovation, but the indirect effects through environmental protection expenditures in neighboring governments is not obvious. (2) Local government environmental protection expenditure has a significant green technology innovation threshold effect on smog pollution: when the level of green technology innovation in the region is higher, the government′s environmental protection expenditure has a significant effect on the suppression of smog pollution; vice versa. (3) The extended analysis found that from the perspective of time, after the construction of ecological civilization was incorporated into the performance evaluation system, the local and neighboring governments′ environmental protection expenditures directly reduced the local smog pollution more effectively, and they could also effectively control the local smog pollution through indirect effects of green technology innovation. From a regional perspective, in key regions, the environmental protection expenditures of neighboring governments are more effective in mitigating local smog pollution. The local and neighboring governments′ environmental protection expenditures have a more significant effect on the suppression of smog pollution through indirect channels of green technology innovation. The resulting smog is difficult to control, and the local government′s environmental protection expenditures are not as effective in suppressing smog pollution as in non-key areas.

According to the research conclusion, the policy implications of this article are as follows: (1) Local governments should consider their own economic and technological development levels, formulate reasonable fiscal environmental protection expenditures, continuously optimize the government′s environmental protection investment structure, actively play the induced effects of fiscal environmental protection funds, promote the flow of social capital to the environmental protection field, support energy-saving environmental protection industry technology research and development, and achieve the transformation of smog end prevention to source prevention. (2) Local governments should gradually increase fiscal environmental protection expenditures, promote the development of green technology innovation, and improve the effectiveness of smog pollution prevention. In addition, a market-oriented green technology innovation system should be built to promote the promotion and application of green technology and green production. The government should focus on promoting traditional traditions through green technology innovation , improve the efficiency of fiscal environmental protection fund use and the marginal rate of return on environmental protection investment, and achieve green and low-carbon development. (3) The central government should remove the "GDP tight mantra", improve the local political performance evaluation system, give play to the guiding role of environmental protection in political performance evaluation, ease local governments′ sacrifice of environmental competition for growth. At the same time, local governments should comprehensively strengthen the inter-regional smog pollution control joint prevention and control mechanism, jointly plan, formulate and implement the smog pollution control plan, and break through the administrative boundary restrictions to form a regional smog prevention joint force. In addition, the governments should continue to deepen the exchange of green technology innovation between regions, build a bridge between regional technology transfer and cooperation, and achieve innovation-driven, win-win cooperation in green development.

Key words

government environmental protection expenditure / green technology innovation / smog pollution

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download Citations

Li Zihao, Bai Tingting. Government environmental protection expenditure, green technology innovation and smog pollution[J]. Science Research Management. 2021, 42(2): 52-63

References

[1] Acemoglu D, Aghion P, Bursztyn L, et al. The environment and directed technical change[J]. American economic review, 2012, 102(1): 131-66.

[2] 姜楠.环保财政支出有助于实现经济和环境双赢吗?[J].中南财经政法大学学报, 2018(01):95-103.

Jiang Nan. Will fiscal expenditures for environmental protection help achieve a win-win situation for the economy and the environment? [J]. Journal of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 2018 (01): 95-103.

[3] 郭进.环境规制对绿色技术创新的影响-“波特效应”的中国证据[J].财贸经济,2019, 40(03): 147-160.

Guo Jin. The effects of environmental regulation on green technology innovation—evidence of the Porter Effect in China [J]. Finance Trade Economics, 2019, 40 (03): 147-160.

[4] Huang J T. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and government spending on environmental protection in China-Evidence from spatial econometric analysis[J]. Journal of cleaner production, 2018, 175: 431-441.

[5] Bostan I, Onofrei M, Dascălu E D, et al. Impact of sustainable environmental expenditures policy on air pollution reduction, during European integration framework[J]. Amfiteatru economic journal, 2016, 18(42): 286-302.

[6] Basoglu A , Uzar U . An empirical evaluation about the effects of environmental expenditures on environmental quality in coordinated market economies [J]. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2019, 26(37):108-118.

[7] Anselin L. Spatial effects in econometric practice in environmental and resource economics [J]. American journal of agricultural economics, 2001,83(3): 705-710.

[8] 张可,汪东芳,周海燕.地区间环保投入与污染排放的内生策略互动[J].中国工业经济, 2016(02):68-82.

Zhang Ke, Wang Dongfang, Zhou Haiyan. Endogenous strategic interaction between environmental protection investment and pollution emissions between regions [J]. China Industrial Economics, 2016 (02): 68-82.

[9] 席鹏辉,梁若冰.空气污染对地方环保投入的影响-基于多断点回归设计[J].统计研究,2015, 32(9):76-83.

Xi Penghui, Liang Ruobing. Can air pollution influence the local environmental protection expenditure—Based on the multiple-cutoffs regression discontinuity design [J]. Statistical Research, 2015, 32 (09): 76-83.

[10] He L, Wu M.Wang D,etal. A study of the influence of regional environmental expenditure on air quality in China: the effectiveness of environmental policy[J]. Environmental Science & Pollution Research, 2018, 25(7):454-468.

[11] 张华.环境支出,地区竞争与环境污染-对环境竞次的一种解释[J].山西财经大学学报, 2018,(12):1-14.

Zhang H. Environmental expenditure, interregional competition, and environmental pollution- An Explanation on the Environmental Issue of "Race to the Bottom"

and environmental pollution[J]. Journal of shanxi finance and economics university,2018,(12):1-14.

[12] 董直庆,王辉.环境规制的“本地-邻地”绿色技术进步效应[J].中国工业经济,2019 (1): 100-118.

Dong Zhiqing, Wang Hui. Local-Neighborhood Effect of Green Technology of Environmental Regulation[J]. China Industrial Economy, 2019 (01): 100-118.

[13] 王锋正,姜涛,郭晓川.政府质量、环境规制与企业绿色技术创新[J].科研管理,2018, 39(1):26-33.

Wang Fengzheng, Jiang Tao, Guo Xiaochuan. Government quality, environmental regulation and green Technological Innovation of enterprises[J]. Scientific Research Management, 2018, 39 (01): 26-33.

[14] Lanjouw J O, Mody A. Innovation and the international diffusion of environmentally responsive technology[J]. Research policy,1996, 25(4): 549-571.

[15] 张平淡,朱松,朱艳春.我国环保投资的技术溢出效应-基于省级面板数据的实证分析[J].北京师范大学学报(社会科学版),2012(3):126-133.

Zhang Pingdan, Zhu Song, Zhu Yanchun. Spillover effect of environmental investment [J]. Journal of Beijing Normal University (Social Sciences), 2012 (03): 126-133.

[16] 陈思霞,卢洪友.公共支出结构与环境质量:中国的经验分析[J].经济评论, 2014(1):70-80.

Chen Sixia, Lu Hongyou. Public spending composition and environmental quality: an empirical evidence from China [J]. Economic Review, 2014 (01): 70-80.

[17] 王耀东.中国的环境污染与政府干预[J].财经问题研究,2016(2):3-11.

Wang Yaodong. Environmental pollution and government intervention in China [J]. Research on Financial and Economic Issues, 2016 (02): 3-11.

[18] Hu S , Liu S . Do the coupling effects of environmental regulation and R&D subsidies work in the development of green innovation? Empirical evidence from China[J]. 2019,21(8):1739–1749.

[19] Deng, Y, You, D, Wang, J. Optimal strategy for enterprises' green technology innovation from the perspective of political competition[J]. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019, 235(10):930-942.

[20] 邵帅,李欣,曹建华,杨莉莉.中国雾霾污染治理的经济政策选择-基于空间溢出效应的视角[J].经济研究,2016,51(9):73-88.

Shao Shuai, Li Xin, Cao Jianhua, Yang Lili. China's economic policy choices for governing smog pollution: based on spatial spillover effects [J]. Economic Research Journal, 2016, 51 (09): 73-88.

[21] 李胜兰,初善冰,申晨.地方政府竞争、环境规制与区域生态效率[J].世界经济, 2014, 37(4):88-110.

Li Shenglan, Chu Shanbing, Shen Chen. Local government competition, environmental regulation and regional ecological efficiency [J]. The Journal of World Economy, 2014, 37 (04): 88-110.

[22] He L, Wu M, Wang D, et al. A study of the influence of regional environmental expenditure on air quality in China: the effectiveness of environmental policy[J]. Environmental science and pollution research, 2018, 25(8): 7454-7468.

[23] Lovely M, Popp D. Trade, technology, and the environment: Does access to technology promote environmental regulation?[J]. Journal of environmental economics and management, 2011, 61(1): 16-35.

[24] Halkos G E, Paizanos E Α. The effect of government expenditure on the environment: An empirical investigation [J]. Ecological economics, 2013, 91(1): 48-56.

[25] 李子豪,毛军.地方政府税收竞争、产业结构调整与中国区域绿色发展[J].财贸经济, 2018, 39(12):142-157.

Li Zihao, Mao Jun. Local government's tax competition, industrial structure adjustment and regional green development in China [J]. Finance Trade Economics, 2018, 39 (12): 142-157.

[26] 范群林,邵云飞,唐小我.环境政策、技术进步、市场结构对环境技术创新影响的实证研究[J].科研管理, 2013,(6):68-76.

Fan Qunlin, Shao Yunfei, Tang Xiaowu. The impact of environmental policy, technological progress, and market structure on environmental technology innovation[J]. Science Research Management, 2013, (6): 68-76.

[27] 刘晨跃,徐盈之.城镇化如何影响雾霾污染治理?-基于中介效应的实证研究[J].经济管理, 2017,39(08):6-23.

Liu Chenyue, Xu Yingzhi. How does urbanization affect the haze pollution control?-an empirical study based on the Mediating Effect Method [J]. Business Management Journal, 2017, 39(08): 6-23.

[28] 李子豪.地区差异、外资来源与FDI环境规制效应研究[J].中国软科学, 2016(8):89-101.

Li Zihao. Regional difference，origin of FDI and environmental regulation effect of FDI [J]. China Soft Science, 2016 (08): 89-101.