The impact of climate policy on energy equity: effect, mechanism, and spatial analysis

Yuegang Song, Zhuoyan Li and Chien-Chiang Lee ()
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Yuegang Song: Henan Normal University
Zhuoyan Li: Henan Normal University
Chien-Chiang Lee: City University of Macau

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: Abstract The Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution (APPCAP) is an important measure to improve air quality and environmental governance in China and is necessary to narrow the regional energy consumption gap and achieve energy equity. It provides policy guarantees for achieving socially inclusive development and improving all residents’ welfare. Based on panel data from 286 cities in China from 2005 to 2022, this study uses the difference-in-differences model to identify the effect and mechanism of the APPCAP on energy equity at the meso level and further constructs the endogenous spatiotemporal weight matrix. The spatial Durbin model is used to test the APPCAP’s spatial spillover effect on energy equity and the conduction path and effect over time. The results show that the APPCAP significantly promotes urban energy equity, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests, such as the balanced trend test, placebo test, propensity score matching–difference-in-differences method, excluding special values, excluding other policies, and the generalised random forest heterogeneity test. Mechanism analysis shows that the APPCAP can increase urban energy equity through ‘energy diversification’, ‘energy consumption structure’, and ‘regulation constraint’ effects. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the APPCAP demonstrates a more pronounced promoting effect on energy equity in cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt, resource-based cities, and cities experiencing low financial strain, compared to non-Yangtze River Economic Belt cities, non-resource-based cities, and those facing high financial strain. Further analysis shows that energy equity has a significant spatial spillover effect, and an increase in local energy equity will significantly increase energy equity in other regions through geographical or economic linkages. This study provides a scientific decision-making basis for building an inclusive, equal, and sustainable energy system and promoting fair energy development.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-06009-x

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