Does national air quality monitoring reduce local air pollution? The case of PM2.5 for China

Guixian Liu; Xiucheng Dong; Zhaoyang Kong; Kangyin Dong

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113232

Does national air quality monitoring reduce local air pollution? The case of PM_2.5 for China

J Environ Manage. 2021 Oct 15:296:113232. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113232. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

Authors

Guixian Liu¹, Xiucheng Dong², Zhaoyang Kong³, Kangyin Dong⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing, 102249, China.
² School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, 100029, China; UIBE Belt & Road Energy Trade and Development Center, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, 100029, China.
³ School of Business, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: 02896@uibe.edu.cn.
⁴ School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, 100029, China; UIBE Belt & Road Energy Trade and Development Center, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address: dongkangyin@uibe.edu.cn.

PMID: 34246901
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113232

Abstract

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has become a major pressing challenge for China and remains a concern of its central government. This paper draws on a natural experiment generated by the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network (NAAQMN) program in China to explore whether national air quality monitoring reduces local air pollution. In this study, we use a city-level dataset for 4200 Chinese cities covering 2001-2015 and a difference-in-differences (DID) assessment design to assess the impact of the NAAQMN program on local PM_2.5 emissions in China. The results suggest that the NAAQMN program significantly reduces the local PM_2.5 concentrations by 1.325 mg/m³, and each additional NAAQMN program will cause a decrease of 0.154 mg/m³ in the local PM_2.5 concentrations. Furthermore, we determine the heterogeneous impacts of the NAAQMN program on local PM_2.5 emission levels through the local government leaders' characteristics, PM_2.5 emission levels, and economic development levels. In addition, a mediation effect is found between the NAAQMN program and local PM_2.5 emissions through the efficiency of environmental governance. The Chinese government should continue to promote the implementation of the NAAQMN program by promoting the NAAQMN program to the county and rural areas as well as adding the sites of the NAAQMN program in the existing cities. Also, during the process of promoting the NAAQMN program, sufficient differentiation in policies should be developed for different cities.

Keywords: China; Heterogeneity analysis; Mediation impact mechanism; National air quality monitoring; PM(2.5).

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
Air Pollution* / prevention & control
China
Cities
Conservation of Natural Resources
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Policy
Local Government
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter