区域贸易协定环境条款对中国企业的减排效应研究

Research on the Effects of Environmental Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements on Chinese Firms'Emission Reductions

本文通过匹配2000—2014年中国工业企业数据、中国海关贸易进出口数据以及中国工业企业污染数据,构建区域贸易协定(RTA)环境条款在企业层面的深度指数,考察RTA环境条款深化对企业污染排放的影响及其作用机制。研究发现:环境条款深化显著降低了企业污染排放水平,这一结果在经过一系列稳健性检验以及采用工具变量法克服内生性之后依然成立。作用机制检验表明,环境条款的减排效应可以通过前端治理和技术创新两条渠道实现。异质性检验表明,环境条款深化对中国东部地区、高减排压力地区的减排效应更为明显,对国有企业、大型企业和高耗能企业具有更强的促减排作用。进一步分析表明,环境条款深化有利于提升企业核心产品集中度,增加清洁产品的进出口规模及产品种类。本文的结论对于推动企业绿色生产力发展,促进经济发展方式绿色转型,实现碳达峰碳中和具有重要意义。

This paper analyzes the impacts of environmental provisions in regional trade agreements(RTAs)on pollution emissions at the firm level.We matched Chinese Industrial Enterprises Data,China Customs Data,and Industrial Enterprises Pollution Data from 2000 to 2014,and constructed a depth index of environmental provisions in RTAs.We find that environmental provisions in RTAs reduce firms'pollution emissions significantly,which remains robust after a series of robustness tests and Two⁃stage Least Squares.The mechanism analysis reveals that the emission reduction effect of environmental provisions is achieved through two channels:front⁃end governance and tech⁃nological innovation.The heterogeneity analysis shows that this effect is particularly pro⁃nounced for firms located in eastern regions and areas with high emission reduction pres⁃sure.It is more significant for state⁃owned firms,large firms,and energy⁃intensive firms.Further analysis finds that environmental provisions increase the share of core products within firms,and also enhance the quantity and variety of clean products in imports and exports.Based on these findings,environmental provisions in RTAs serve as policy tools to promote green transformation and are crucial for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.