The Nexus of Environmental Protection and Economic Growth in Northern Minority Areas of China Under the Background of Sustainable Climate Policies

Weifang Cao, Zhenhua Zhang () and Yanchao Feng ()
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Weifang Cao: School of Economics, Shanxi University of Finance & Economics, Taiyuan 030006, China
Zhenhua Zhang: School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yanchao Feng: School of Business, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-15

Abstract: Exploring the relationship between economic development and environmental protection holds substantial theoretical value for the sustainable progress of minority regions. This paper initially analyzes the overarching mechanisms governing economic growth and climate change challenges in industrial decarbonization toward carbon neutrality. Subsequently, it conducts an empirical analysis utilizing historical economic and environmental data from five provinces to investigate the trajectory of economic development and shifts in environmental quality. The objective of this paper is to flatten the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in northwest minority areas, ensuring the continuous enhancement of environmental quality and green transformation in tandem with economic growth, thereby forging a low-pollution pathway for sustainable development. It is observed that an EKC characteristic exists between the economy and the environment in these regions, evolving from discoordination to primary coordination. The environment and economic development in ethnic minority areas of China are progressing slowly, and there is an urgent need for sustainable development reforms. The environment and economic development in ethnic minority areas of China from 2003 to 2022 are progressing slowly, and there is an urgent need for sustainable development reforms. During the economic development process, minimizing environmental pollution should be a fundamental prerequisite, with a focus on industrial ecological advancement, intensifying governmental environmental protection measures, and boosting green technological innovation to strive for a flattening of the EKC and advance a trajectory toward sustainable development.

Keywords: climate change; effectiveness evaluation; environmental kuznets curve; northwest minority areas; economic development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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