China’s Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy, Eco-Efficiency, and Energy Consumption: Study Based on Period-by-Period PSM-DID Model
The sustainable development of Chinese cities is of long-term significance. Multiple environmental regulatory instruments aim to promote the parallel advancement of environmental conservation and economic growth. This study examines three batches of low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) programs, employing e...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/15/4126 |
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| Summary: | The sustainable development of Chinese cities is of long-term significance. Multiple environmental regulatory instruments aim to promote the parallel advancement of environmental conservation and economic growth. This study examines three batches of low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) programs, employing eco-efficiency as the outcome variable. Using conventional difference-in-differences (DID) models, time-varying DID models, and period-by-period propensity score matching DID (PSM-DID) models with city and time fixed effects, we investigate the comprehensive impact of pilot policies on both economic and environmental performance. Eco-efficiency, measured through the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model, exhibits a strong correlation with energy consumption patterns, as carbon emissions and air pollutants predominantly originate from non-clean energy utilization. The analysis reveals that LCCP policies significantly enhance eco-efficiency. These findings demonstrate robustness across placebo tests, endogeneity treatments, and alternative outcome variable specifications. The first and third LCCP batches significantly improve eco-efficiency, whereas the second batch demonstrates no statistically significant effect. Significant impacts emerge in regions where cities hold pilot status while provinces do not; conversely, regions where both cities and provinces participate in pilot programs show no significant effects. Finally, from an energy consumption perspective, policy recommendations are proposed to further enhance eco-efficiency through regulatory instruments. |
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| ISSN: | 1996-1073 |