An assessment of China's joint prevention and control policy on sulfur dioxide emissions reduction:A spatial econometric analysis

Sulfur dioxide(SO_(2))is a typical pollutant that affects human health,climate,and environmental and ecological conditions.China has been experiencing high concentrations of SO_(2),particularly in urban areas,since the 1990s.In 2010,a"joint prevention and control"(JPC)policy was issued to address air pollution problems and strengthen the regulation of SO_(2)emissions.This study aimed to describe the mitigation effects of this policy on SO_(2)emissions in 116 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2017.We applied global and local Moran's I indices to confirm the presence of significant spatial autocorrelation in SO_(2)emissions and constructed four spatial models to assess the effect of the JPC policy in reducing SO_(2)emissions and its transmission mechanism.We found that the policy decreased SO_(2)emissions by 1.89×10^(4)tons,S0_(2)intensity by 1.70 tons per km^(2),and S0_(2)per capita of 158.49 tons per 10,000 people in each city,on average,all of which are significant changes.The empirical results also show that population growth,economic structure,and environmental protection significantly decrease SO_(2)emissions.Finally,we recommended policies to encourage regional cooperation under the JPC policy,with the aim of promoting furtherreductions in SO_(2)emissions.

A Study of China’s Air Pollution Prevention and Control Policy Framework from a Policy Instrument Perspective

Environmental pollution caused by rapid economic development like that seen in China over the past twenty years poses various threats to human health. People have started to place much more of an emphasis on environmental security, working to find a balance between sustainability and economic growth. In recent years, air pollution has emerged as a highly discussed topic of social and environmental relevance in China, due in part to persistent smog that affects everyday life and causes serious harm to human health. Although air pollution is normally associated with human activity, is can be caused by natural processes such as eruptions and forest fires, but is always characterized by the release of certain substances into the atmosphere which, when present in certain concentrations or for given durations, can harm human health, daily life, productivity, and other aspects. In humans, it mainly affects the respiratory system, notably the lungs, as well as the immune system. A series of studies both in China and overseas have shown, in certain cases, even low concentrations of air pollution can pose a great threat to human health. In this study, we conducted an analysis of air quality policies, focusing on the 2018 revision of the People’s Republic of China’s Law on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution(LPCAP). We utilized the content analysis method and Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory to construct a policy framework, demarcate analysis units, code and classify policy texts, determine descriptive statistics, and analyze dimensional interactions. We used two dimensions(basic policy instruments classified as demand-, supply-, and environment-side;and air carrying capacity) to quantify and analyze the LPCAP, which enabled us to analyze the deficiencies and conflicts within policy instruments. The results show a higher utilization frequency of environment-side policy instruments, particularly regulation management and strategic measures. This reflects efforts by the government to create a favorable environment for improving air quality. Additionally, supply-side policy instruments are used far less frequently than environment-side policy instruments. Air quality legal policies and pollution control measures mainly consist of environment-side policy instruments;ecological thinking and air quality policies that are based mainly on supply-side and environment-side policy instruments;and social coordination policies that mainly use environment-side policy instruments. Based on the results of this study, we recommend an increase in the number of supply-and demand-side policy instruments, particularly the latter which includes promoting ecological thinking amongst citizens, to optimize and improve air pollution prevention and control policies.

The impact of the COVID-19 prevention and economic interventions on express delivery industry:Evidence from China

As a fundamental logistics service,the express delivery(ED)industry provides production and consumption activities to maintain efficient supply chain operations.It plays an important role in promoting industrial development and maintaining daily life and consumption.This study examined the effects of COVID-19 on the ED industry using ED package delivery data from 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities)in China.Using a difference-in-differences method,the COVID-19 outbreak was found to have a positive effect and epidemic prevention and control(EPC)policies were found to have negative effects on the development of the ED industry.In addition to EPC policies,the Chinese government has implemented other short-term economic interventions(SEI),such as the resumption of work and production(RWP),policies to balance economic growth,and epidemic prevention.This study divided the pandemic period into three stages to analyze the different impacts of EPC and SEI policy changes on the ED industry.The RWP policies adopted during the pandemic positively impacted the volume and income of packages delivered to the ED industry.The conclusions of this study are significant for the ED industry in addressing public health emergencies and for the Chinese government to formulate EPC and SEI policies during epidemic periods.