Does the low-carbon city pilot scheme enhance urban total environmental quality? Evidence from China

Zheneng Hu, Xiujuan Lan, Jianjiao Gong, Zhuoya Zhang and Chuanhao Wen

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2025, vol. 68, issue 10, 2321-2347

Abstract: China’s low-carbon city pilot scheme (LCCPS) supports a broad economic and social systemic transition. However, current analyses have only considered the unilateral impact of the LCCPS on the environment without assessing total environmental quality (TEQ). We employed a time-varying difference-in-difference model to detect the causal effect of the LCCPS on urban TEQ, using panel data extracted from satellite observations, including information on biodiversity, vegetation coverage, water resources, soil pollution, contamination pressure, and frequency of environmental pollution events. We found, first, that the scheme can ameliorate urban TEQ. Second, this effect is more obvious in cities in the eastern region, of high economic level, that are resource-dependent, and have a high industrial level. Finally, facilitating green technology innovation and raising public environmental awareness are crucial to achieve the scheme’s objectives. This study provides convincing evidence to support the promotion of the LCCPS in developing countries.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/09640568.2024.2312548 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jenpmg:v:68:y:2025:i:10:p:2321-2347

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/CJEP20

DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2024.2312548

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management is currently edited by Dr Neil Powe, Dr Ken Willis and George Bill Page

More articles in Journal of Environmental Planning and Management from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().