Exploring the impacts of spatial regulation on environmentally sustainable development: A new perspective of quasi–experimental evaluation based on the National Key Ecological Function Zones in China

Abstract

With increasing ecological damage caused by regional development, many countries seek to promote sustainable development through spatial regulation. This study treated China's development of National Key Ecological Functional Zones (NKEFZ) as a quasi–natural experiment, applying a time–varying difference–in–differences model to data from 148 water quality monitoring cross–section points of major river systems in China from 2004 to 2018. The results revealed that NKEFZ improved the mean of comprehensive water quality (CWQ) and individual water quality indicators of dissolved oxygen and ammonia nitrogen content index by restricting urbanization and increasing government investment. The mean value of CWQ was improved by about 0.22 grades, and the optimization effect of spatial regulation on average water quality was more prominent in coastal cities, cities with high–pollution levels, and large–sized cities. Nevertheless, the impact of NKEFZ on water quality exhibited a “Matthew effect”, in which NKEFZ were not effective in improving the bottom line standard of water quality in the pilot zones, as NKEFZ did not significantly improve the peak values of CWQ or individual pollutant indicator. In addition, an economic effect estimation indicated that NKEFZ significantly facilitated local economic growth and primary industry development and had a significantly negative impact on secondary industry growth and foreign investment. This study contributes new evidence for measuring the effect of the trans–regional spatial regulation, eliciting policy implications for improving ecological spatial regulation and incentive mechanisms, and promoting the sustainable development of the regional environment and economy.

Research landscape of energy transition and green finance: A bibliometric analysis

“…As a result, this transition entails more than just changing energy sources; it entails a complete transformation of economic structures and policies. China's journey, like that of other countries, entails the difficult task of effectively balancing significant economic growth with the imperative of maintaining environmental sustainability [ 83 ]. The country's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, as evidenced by its commitments to reduce emissions, are in line with broader global trends [ 84 ].…”

“…Thirdly, the analysis of keyword co-occurrence underscores the emergence of future subfields for researchers in the domain of energy transition and green finance. For example, the co-occurrence analysis by Muchiri et al [ 97 ] identifies an association between green finance and sustainable development, while our paper further emphasises that China faces the challenge of balancing its significant economic growth with the crucial need to uphold environmental sustainability and aligning with the broader global trend [ 83 , 84 ]. This insight can guide researchers in delving into remediation studies aimed at minimizing environmental impacts, thereby securing the sustainable development of the economy.…”

Research Landscape of Energy Transition and Green Finance: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…This transition is driven by both environmental concerns and the need for trade and economic advancement. China, similar to other nations, confronts the task of effectively balancing its substantial economic expansion with the imperative of maintaining environmental sustainability (Chen et al, 2023a). The nation's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality demonstrated through emission reduction commitments, align with the broader global trend (Wei et al, 2022).…”

“…Thirdly, the analysis of keyword co-occurrence underscores the signi cance of evaluating energy transition and green nance across various countries or periods. For example, China faces the challenge of balancing its signi cant economic growth with the crucial need to uphold environmental sustainability, and align with the broader global trend (Chen et al, 2023a;Wei et al, 2022). This insight can guide researchers in delving into remediation studies aimed at minimizing environmental impacts, thereby securing the sustainable development of the economy.…”

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Ecosystem Status in China’s National Key Ecological Function Zones

“…The geographical distribution of these zones is illustrated in Figure 1. During the period from 2008 to 2019, the central government of China has consistently disbursed a cumulative total of 523.5 billion yuan as transfer payments directed toward the NKEFZ [29]. The primary objectives of these transfer payments encompass maintaining the stability of forested land areas, safeguarding the integrity of grasslands, augmenting the extent of river, lake, and wetland areas, and effectively managing spatial occupation by human activities at the prevailing level.…”