Analysis of Air Pollution Impact Factors in China: A MIMIC Modeling Approach

Jing Gao () and Lei Zhang ()
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Lei Zhang: Center for Economic Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China

Frontiers of Economics in China-Selected Publications from Chinese Universities, 2015, vol. 10, issue 2, 224-251

Abstract: In this study, we investigate the impact factors on air pollution in terms of CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions simultaneously in China and compare changes in air pollution across provinces from 1998 to 2011 using a Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes Model (MIMIC) within a Structural Equation Model (SEM) framework. Our findings reveal that GDP per capita and total population have the largest impacts on air pollution, followed by energy intensity, foreign direct investment, population density, and industrialization. The results also reveal that the inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis exists in China. Our findings also demonstrate that Shandong, Jiangxi and Liaoning are the top three provinces with the most deteriorated air quality while Xinjiang, Fujian and Ningxia are with the best. These results not only contribute to advancing the existing literature, but also merit particular attention from policy-makers in China.

Keywords: impact factors; air pollution; Multiple Index Multiple Causes Model; industrialization; energy intensity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C39 Q56 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fec:journl:v:10:y:2015:i:2:p:224-251

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