地方政府竞争、环境规制与中国城市空气污染

Influence of local government competition and environmental regulations on Chinese urban air quality

中国空气污染格局受到政策因素的深刻影响,财政分权和政绩考核背景下的地方政府竞争能够激励污染性产业发展进而加剧环境污染。政府层面的环境规制和企业层面的技术进步则减少了单位产能污染排放。两种力量的相互制约塑造了中国城市空气污染的格局。本文基于2003—2013年地级以上城市数据,以综合污染指数刻画空气污染程度,使用面板数据模型和空间杜宾模型探讨空气污染影响因素及其空间效应。结果表明:(1)在研究时段空气污染和污染性产业空间动态一致,均有向东部地区转移的趋势,污染性产业的存量对污染的加剧作用比增量更为显著。(2)地方政府竞争能够显著增加本地和周边地区空气污染。环境规制是抑制空气污染的重要方式,但本地的高规制将造成周边地区污染加剧。技术进步能够有效降低空气污染,且不具有显著的空间效应。(3)抑制空气污染的因素(环境规制、技术进步)比加剧污染的因素(地方政府竞争、污染性产业增长)作用效力更强,在一定程度上解释了污染产业发展的同时空气污染程度降低的现象。文章启示调整政府主导的经济发展方式,贯彻环境规制的科学制定与严格执行,促成企业创新驱动是减轻空气污染的重要途径。

Institution has been identified as invisible hands in shaping the spatial distribution of environmental pollution,which particularly can be seen through two opposing forces in contemporary China. On the one hand,increasing competition between local government,led by the fiscal decentralization and growth-oriented cadre evaluation,encouraged the growth of polluting industries and exacerbated industrial pollution. On the other hand,environmental regulation and technological progress may help to reduce pollution emissions. Based on prefectural-level data during 2003-2013,this study investigated how local government competition and environmental regulation work together to reshape the spatial pattern of air pollution in China. Comprehensive pollution index method was used to describe the dynamic of air pollution. Two-way fixed effect model and Spatial Panel Durbin Model were applied to find out the synergy effect as well as spatial effect of different factors. The results indicate that the dynamic of air pollution and polluting industries tend to relocate in the eastern areas. Moreover,the impact of existing polluting industry capacity on air pollution is greater than the new capacity. The results also support the positive and effective role of environmental regulation and technological progress in reducing air pollution. Stringent environmental regulation may alleviate local air pollution but exacerbate the pollution in its neighborhood while government competition will accelerate pollution in both local and neighborhood areas. The results of this article may contribute to the policy maker in three perspectives. Firstly,in order to alter the motivation of government competition,official selection should shift from performance oriented to process oriented and change the emphasis on GDP growth. Secondly,to meet the increasing of environmental claims more efforts should be made to enact and execute environmental regulation. Thirdly,relative policies should be formulated to encourage environmental friendly activities of enterprises and punish polluting firms.