环境分权如何影响城市的碳排放强度——基于城市异质性分析

Impact of Environmental Decentralization on Carbon Emissions Intensity——An Analysis of Urban Heterogeneity

环境管理事权在中央政府与地方政府之间的分配方式如何影响碳排放强度格局?基于2005—2018年中国284个地级市的面板数据,探究环境分权对于城市碳排放强度的影响效应,并利用中介效应模型分析其作用机理。结果显示:(1)环境分权对碳排放强度的影响呈现出显著的非线性“倒U形”特征;(2)中介效应分析显示,环境分权通过阻碍城市环境治理和技术进步从而推高了碳排放强度;(3)环境分权的影响效应在不同城市存在明显差异。环境管理事权下放,对东部、中部和西部城市的碳排放强度均有明显的促增效应,但在西部城市的作用效果最强;环境分权显著提高了大城市和中小城市的碳排放强度,但在特大城市的作用不明显;环境分权使得资源型城市和非资源型城市的碳排放强度升高,但此影响效应在非资源型城市不显著。据此,为实现环境分权在降低碳强度方面发挥积极作用,应尽快完善中央—地方多级政府的联合管理策略,推动城市环境治理和技术进步,并结合城市实际情况进行差异化的环境事权划分。

How does the distribution of environmental management powers between the central government and local governments affect the pattern of carbon emissions intensity?Based on the panel data of 284 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2018,this paper explored the impact of environmental decentralization on urban carbon intensity,and the mediation effect model was used to analyze the mechanism of action.The results show that the impact of environmental decentralization on carbon intensity presented a significant nonlinear“inverted U-shape”characteristic;the mediating effect analysis showed that environmental decentralization promoted carbon intensity by hindering urban environmental governance and technological progress.In addition,the impact of environmental decentralization differed significantly in different cities.Decentralization of environmental management had a significant effect on the carbon intensity of eastern,central and western cities,and the effect was the strongest in western cities;environmental decentralization significantly increased the carbon intensity of large cities and small and medium-sized cities,but had no obvious effect in megacities;environmental decentralization increased the carbon intensity of resource-based and non-resource-based cities,but the effect was not significant in non-resource-based cities.Therefore,in order to realize the positive role of environmental decentralization in reducing carbon intensity,it is necessary to improve the joint management strategy of central-local multi-level governments as soon as possible,promote urban environmental governance and technological progress,and make differentiated division of environmental authority based on the actual situation of the city.