Version 1
: Received: 11 September 2024 / Approved: 12 September 2024 / Online: 12 September 2024 (07:33:08 CEST)
How to cite:
Tang, A.; Zhu, Y.; Gu, W.; Wang, C. Air Quality Benefits of Renewable Energy: Evidence from China’s Renewable Energy Heating Policy. Preprints2024, 2024090971. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0971.v1
Tang, A.; Zhu, Y.; Gu, W.; Wang, C. Air Quality Benefits of Renewable Energy: Evidence from China’s Renewable Energy Heating Policy. Preprints 2024, 2024090971. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0971.v1
Tang, A.; Zhu, Y.; Gu, W.; Wang, C. Air Quality Benefits of Renewable Energy: Evidence from China’s Renewable Energy Heating Policy. Preprints2024, 2024090971. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0971.v1
APA Style
Tang, A., Zhu, Y., Gu, W., & Wang, C. (2024). Air Quality Benefits of Renewable Energy: Evidence from China’s Renewable Energy Heating Policy. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0971.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Tang, A., Wenjia Gu and Ce Wang. 2024 "Air Quality Benefits of Renewable Energy: Evidence from China’s Renewable Energy Heating Policy" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0971.v1
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of renewable energy heating on air quality in northern China, using the Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River line as a quasi-natural experiment to distinguish between regions with central heating and those without. Employing a difference-in-differences approach and analyzing panel data from 299 cities between 2014 and 2022, our findings indicate that the renewable energy heating policy has significantly improved air quality. Specifically, the policy led to substantial reductions in the Air Quality Index (AQI) and concentrations of key pollutants: SO2 by 28.31%, CO by 7.57%, NO2 by 5.72%, and PM2.5 by 7.15%. The policy's effects are most pronounced in regions with lower temperatures and in the eastern parts of the country. Further analysis emphasizes the critical role of energy transition, environmental regulations, and government investment in technology as key drivers of these air quality improvements.
Keywords
Air Quality; Central Winter Heating; Renewable Energy
Subject
Business, Economics and Management, Economics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.