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Enforcement of pollution levies in China

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  • Lin, Liguo
Abstract
This paper investigates how industrial plants react to inspections conducted by environmental authorities under the pollution levy (taxation) regulation in China. Contrary to studies in the United States and Canada (Magat and Viscusi, 1990; Laplante and Rilstone, 1996), and previous studies in China (Dasgupta et al., 2001), we find that inspections increase plants' self-reported pollution by 3.45%. We provide a model to analyze plants' strategic reactions to the pollution levy regulation in China. The model concludes that under the specific regulation, plants' actual pollution might increase with inspections. Our study provides a key policy implication that inspections by environmental authorities in China are effective for verifying plants' self-reported pollution but not for reducing their pollution.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Liguo, 2013. "Enforcement of pollution levies in China," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 32-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:98:y:2013:i:c:p:32-43
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2012.11.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    14. Calel, Raphael & Dechezlepretre, Antoine & Venmans, Frank, 2023. "Policing carbon markets," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120565, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    16. Iris Claus & Les Oxley & Siqi Zheng & Cong Sun & Ye Qi & Matthew E. Kahn, 2014. "The Evolving Geography Of China'S Industrial Production: Implications For Pollution Dynamics And Urban Quality Of Life," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 709-724, September.
    17. You, Chen & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier & Liu, Xiaoqian & Wu, Jinqun, 2024. "Can the government environmental vertical reform reduce air pollution? A quasi-natural experiment in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 947-963.
    18. Liguo Lin & Wei Sun, 2016. "Location choice of FDI firms and environmental regulation reforms in China," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 207-232, October.
    19. Dietrich H. Earnhart & Madhu Khanna & Thomas P. Lyon, 2014. "Corporate Environmental Strategies in Emerging Economies," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 8(2), pages 164-185.
    20. Chakraborti, Lopamudra, 2020. "Regulator Reputation Effects in Developing Countries: Evidence from the Toxics Pollution Registry of Mexico," MPRA Paper 104580, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Wang, Chunhua & Wu, JunJie & Zhang, Bing, 2018. "Environmental regulation, emissions and productivity: Evidence from Chinese COD-emitting manufacturers," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 54-73.
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    23. Shenggang Ren & Duojun He & Tao Zhang & Xiaohong Chen, 2019. "Symbolic reactions or substantive pro‐environmental behaviour? An empirical study of corporate environmental performance under the government's environmental subsidy scheme," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 1148-1165, September.
    24. Tsaur‐Chin Wu & Ching‐Yang Liang & Kun‐Li Lin, 2022. "Environmental effectiveness of tax compliance policy in the presence of labor unions," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 18(2), pages 137-153, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Enforcement; Inspections; Pollution levies; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • K32 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Energy, Environmental, Health, and Safety Law
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy

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