Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in China
IntroductionDo environmental technologies always yield desirable returns? This study addresses this question through the lens of command-and-control environmental regulation. It explores the theoretical and empirical mechanisms influencing the efficacy of technology in reducing emissions, focusing o...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1524824/full |
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| author | Xiaoyu Yin Baofeng Xu Jia Li Jingyi Wu |
| author_facet | Xiaoyu Yin Baofeng Xu Jia Li Jingyi Wu |
| author_sort | Xiaoyu Yin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionDo environmental technologies always yield desirable returns? This study addresses this question through the lens of command-and-control environmental regulation. It explores the theoretical and empirical mechanisms influencing the efficacy of technology in reducing emissions, focusing on the non-linear characteristics of technological returns under equilibrium conditions.MethodsA socio-economic model integrating pollution discharge issues was developed to examine the marginal effects of emission reduction technology. Empirical validation was conducted using green patent data from Chinese listed companies (2005–2020) and pollution emissions data from various cities. Fixed effects models and generalized random forest models were employed to analyze the relationships.ResultsThe analysis revealed that technological innovation exhibits diminishing marginal returns in reducing emissions due to existing technological constraints. The results were further dissected by categorizing patents and city characteristics, shedding light on the factors influencing emission reduction effectiveness.DiscussionThe findings emphasize the importance of addressing the non-linear nature of technological innovation in environmental regulation. Policy recommendations include fostering tailored innovation strategies and supporting cities with unique characteristics to maximize technological impact on emission reduction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cada025f0cc3418db3784cf07c8e938e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-cada025f0cc3418db3784cf07c8e938e2025-02-03T06:33:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2025-02-011310.3389/fenvs.2025.15248241524824Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in ChinaXiaoyu Yin0Baofeng Xu1Jia Li2Jingyi Wu3School of Economics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, ChinaSchool of Business, Shandong Yingcai University, Jinan, ChinaSchool of Economics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, ChinaSchool of Economics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, ChinaIntroductionDo environmental technologies always yield desirable returns? This study addresses this question through the lens of command-and-control environmental regulation. It explores the theoretical and empirical mechanisms influencing the efficacy of technology in reducing emissions, focusing on the non-linear characteristics of technological returns under equilibrium conditions.MethodsA socio-economic model integrating pollution discharge issues was developed to examine the marginal effects of emission reduction technology. Empirical validation was conducted using green patent data from Chinese listed companies (2005–2020) and pollution emissions data from various cities. Fixed effects models and generalized random forest models were employed to analyze the relationships.ResultsThe analysis revealed that technological innovation exhibits diminishing marginal returns in reducing emissions due to existing technological constraints. The results were further dissected by categorizing patents and city characteristics, shedding light on the factors influencing emission reduction effectiveness.DiscussionThe findings emphasize the importance of addressing the non-linear nature of technological innovation in environmental regulation. Policy recommendations include fostering tailored innovation strategies and supporting cities with unique characteristics to maximize technological impact on emission reduction.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1524824/fullenvironmental technologygreen patentstreatment effectsfixed effects modelgeneralized random forest |
| spellingShingle | Xiaoyu Yin Baofeng Xu Jia Li Jingyi Wu Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in China Frontiers in Environmental Science environmental technology green patents treatment effects fixed effects model generalized random forest |
| title | Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in China |
| title_full | Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in China |
| title_fullStr | Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in China |
| title_short | Environmental technology’s diminishing marginal returns: a study of green patents and emission reductions in China |
| title_sort | environmental technology s diminishing marginal returns a study of green patents and emission reductions in china |
| topic | environmental technology green patents treatment effects fixed effects model generalized random forest |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1524824/full |
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