垃圾分类信息干预对农村居民环保行为的溢出效应——来自太湖流域的经验证据

Spillover effects of information intervention of waste classification on environmental protection behaviors of rural residents:Empirical evidence from the Taihu Lake Basin in China

为有效提升农村居民实施环保行为的自觉性与积极性,有必要识别各种可能影响其行为决策的潜在因素。本文基于太湖流域547户农村居民的数据,通过随机对照试验法、DID模型与KHB模型分析了垃圾分类的信息干预对农村居民环保行为的溢出效应,并分析了环境关注度在其中的中介作用。结果显示:(1)健康、环境和技术3种信息干预均在一定程度上提高了农村居民环保行为的参与水平;(2)相比于环境信息、技术信息,农村居民对健康信息更为敏感,他们对环境关注的实质,在于环境的好坏对其自身健康的潜在影响,所以健康信息能够调动他们参与生态环境保护的主动性与自觉性;(3)环境关注度是影响健康信息正向溢出的一种重要心理机制。在健康信息干预对农村居民环保行为参与水平的溢出效应中,居民的环境关注度具有中介作用,但并未发现环境关注度在环境和技术信息干预中的影响。因此,建议建立起中国在垃圾分类治理与其他环保领域(如节能减排等)的联动治理机制,在农村人居环境的治理中,要更为聚焦农村居民的价值诉求,开展针对性的、及时性的信息干预,切实增强农村居民对环境保护的认同感与自觉性,深入推进农村居民环保理念的树立、环保意识的强化。

In order to effectively enhance the consciousness and enthusiasm of rural residents to adopt environmental protection behaviors, it is necessary to identify various potential factors that may affect their behavioral decisions. Based on the data of 547 rural residents in the Taihu Lake Basin, this study analyzed the spillover effect of information intervention of waste classification on rural residents’ environmental protection behavior and the intermediary role of environmental concern through randomized controlled trials, the difference-in-differences(DID) model, and the Karlson-Holm-Breen(KHB) model. The results show that: Three kinds of information interventions, including health, environment, and technology, all improve the participation level of rural residents in environmental protection actions to a certain extent. Compared with environmental information and technological information, rural residents are more sensitive to health information. The essence of their concern for the environment lies in the potential impact of the quality of the environment on their own health, so health information can mobilize them to participate in ecological environment protection. Environmental concern is an important psychological mechanism that affects the positive spillover of health information. In the spillover effect of health information intervention on the participation level of rural residents in environmental protection actions, residents’ environmental concern plays a mediating role, but the impact of environmental concern on environmental and technological information intervention has not been found. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a joint governance mechanism between waste classification measures and other environmental protection measures(such as energy conservation and emission reduction, among others) in China. In the governance of rural residential environment, more attention should be paid to the value demands of rural residents and targeted and timely information intervention should be carried out, to effectively enhance rural residents’ recognition and consciousness of environmental protection, and further promote the establishment of rural residents’ environmental protection concept and strengthening of their environmental protection awareness.