NonLinear Effects of Environmental Regulation on Eco-Efficiency under the Constraint of Land Use Carbon Emissions: Evidence Based on a Bootstrapping Approach and Panel Threshold Model

Haoran Yang, Hao Zheng, Hongguang Liu and Qun Wu
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Haoran Yang: College of Public Administration, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 250030, China
Hao Zheng: College of Public Administration, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 250030, China
Hongguang Liu: College of Public Administration, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 250030, China
Qun Wu: College of Public Administration, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 250030, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Eco-efficiency has been receiving attention worldwide, and the effective implementation of environmental regulations (ERs) has become crucial to regional eco-efficiency. This paper uses a method combining mixed directional distance function and bootstrapping approach to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of eco-efficiency under the constraint of land use carbon emission in China from 2004 to 2016. The nonlinear relationship between ER and eco-efficiency is observed with a panel threshold model. Results from empirical tests reveal that eco-efficiency in China during the study period has an upward trend, and the spatial and temporal distribution of eco-efficiency is unbalanced and concentrated. Technical innovation and land marketization (LM) shows double threshold, whereas industrial structure (IS) has a single threshold effect. LM has a promotional effect on eco-efficiency, which differs in the promotion before and after promotion across the threshold value. Reasonable ER can reduce cost by stimulating the innovation of green production technology and achieves a win-win situation between environment and output. This finding further verifies that the ER for eco-efficiency under the constraint of land use carbon emission conforms to the Porter hypothesis. The effect of ER on eco-efficiency changes from negative to positive with the increase of IS level. Adjusting the ownership structure and increasing the proportion of green achievements in the promotion and assessment of officials are important measures in the upgrading of eco-efficiency.

Keywords: environmental regulation; eco-efficiency; carbon emission; bootstrapping approach; panel threshold model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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