Evaluating the impact of central environmental protection inspection on air pollution: An empirical research in China

• Published in: Process safety and environmental protection Vol. 160; pp. 563 - 572
• Main Authors: Liu, Xiaoxiao, Zhong, Shuiying, Li, Shan, Yang, Mian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rugby Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air pollution control; Air pollution effects; Air quality; Central environmental protection inspection; City-level panel data; Decision making; Economic development; Emissions; Empirical analysis; Environmental impact; Environmental indicators; Environmental protection; Heterogeneity; Impact analysis; Inspection; Mitigation; Multi-period DID model; Outdoor air quality; Pollutants; Pollution indicators; China; Air pollution; Central environmental protection inspection; City-level panel data; Multi-period DID model
• ISSN: 0957-5820; 1744-3598
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2022.02.048

Based on the panel data of various daily air pollution indicators of 288 prefecture-level cities in China from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018, this paper takes the first round of central environmental protection inspection (CEPI) as a quasi-natural experiment, and empirically analyzes its impact on urban air pollution by using multi-period difference-in-difference (DID) method. The results show that: (1) the first round of five batches of environmental inspection and two batches of “looking back” have significantly reduced the concentration of seven pollutants; (2) The first five batches of environmental inspection have a stronger impact on reducing air pollution than “looking back”; Moreover, in the short term after the inspection, it still has a significant reduction effect on air pollution; (3) The impact of central environmental protection inspection on air pollution shows strong heterogeneity in different batches of inspections, urban scale and economic development level, as well as the air quality level of cities before the inspection. The research results of this paper provide corresponding policy recommendations and decision-making basis for the Chinese central government to further deepen the reform of environmental protection supervision mechanism and promote the emissions of multiple pollutants mitigation.