ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Environmental Legislation and Pollution
Emissions: An Empirical Analysis
Based on China
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1
School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, China
2
Department of Applied Economics, Yancheng Teachers University, China
Submission date: 2020-10-22
Final revision date: 2021-01-05
Acceptance date: 2021-01-20
Online publication date: 2021-06-29
Publication date: 2021-07-29
Corresponding author
Hengfei Huan
School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, 210094, Nanjing, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(5):3985-3998
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ABSTRACT
Passively waiting for the natural appearance of a turning point in the Environmental Kuznets
Curve is no longer the appropriate attitude for coping with the increasing environmental pressures.
The present study selected the provincial legislation regarding environmental protection as the current
measurements of environmental policies. Then, tests were conducted in order to determine whether
or not the current environmental policies were empirically conducive for reducing industrial pollution
emission intensities using the provincial panel data for the period ranging from 2005 to 2014. The results
indicated that the introduction and implementation of environmental policies could significantly reduce
industrial pollution emission levels. However, such obvious inhibitions caused by the environmental
policies regarding pollution emission reductions were found to be highly dependent on the marketization
processes and environmental behaviors of the government. Furthermore, it was revealed in this research
investigation that the effectiveness of the environmental policies for pollution reduction was related to
regional environmental quality. The findings of this study bear important policy implications in China.