The Environmental Regulation,Technological Innovation And Pollution Agglomeration

Since the reform and opening up,China’s economy has achieved sustained high-speed growth,but this extensive economic development mode which over relies on resources,environment and factor input has also brought serious environmental pollution problems.For this reason,the Chinese government has strengthened the efforts of environmental governance,but due to the differences in regional economic level,resource endowment and other aspects,the existing pollution agglomeration phenomenon further increases the difficulty of the government’s environmental pollution governance.Based on the sustainable development theory,Porter hypothesis,externality theory and public goods theory,this paper puts environmental regulation,technological innovation and pollution agglomeration into the same research framework,and discusses the mechanism of the three,so as to provide policy enlightenment for alleviating the problem of pollution agglomeration.Firstly,this paper uses fixed base range entropy weight method and geographic concentration method to measure the pollution concentration index of China’s prefecture level cities from 2011 to 2018,and describes its spatial and temporal distribution characteristics.Secondly,from the perspectives of government and residents,the paper constructs the indicators of formal and informal environmental regulation.Finally,we use the spatial econometric model to empirically analyze the impact of environmental regulation on pollution agglomeration,and further add technological innovation to examine whether it plays a mediating role between the two and the size of the role.The results show that:(1)There is a significant spatial autocorrelation of pollution agglomeration at the level of prefecture level cities in China,showing the distribution of "high-high" agglomeration and "low-low" agglomeration.From high to low,the pollution agglomeration level is in the order of Eastern,Central,Western and Northeastern cities;(2)The improvement of the intensity of formal and informal environmental regulation can reduce the pollution agglomeration level of the city,and this mitigation effect has a significant spatial spillover effect,that is,the improvement of the intensity of environmental regulation can not only reduce the pollution agglomeration level of the city,but also indirectly alleviate the pollution agglomeration of neighboring cities;(3)Technological innovation plays a good intermediary role between formal environmental regulation and pollution agglomeration,informal environmental regulation and pollution agglomeration.Based on the research conclusions,the suggestions are as follows:(1)We should improve the joint prevention and control mechanism of inter city pollution control.In order to avoid cities falling into the mode of "sweeping snow in front of each door",we should implement the "neighborhood and common" pollution control joint prevention and control mechanism,to reduce the pollution agglomeration.(2)Improve the relevant laws and regulations of environmental protection and law enforcement.So that to avoid loopholes in the law and urge enterprises to discharge pollutants legally and in accordance with regulations,and resist illegal discharge.(3)Improve the public environmental protection supervision mechanism,and encourage urban residents to participate in environmental pollution control.Give full play to the positive role of urban residents,non-governmental organizations and media in urban environmental pollution control.(4)Encourage enterprises to carry out R & D investment activities and improve the level of technological innovation.Through tax incentives and other forms to subsidize the technological innovation activities of enterprises,improve the production process and reduce the pollution emission level.