Balancing China's Economic Development and Environmental Protection
Abstract
This study aims to explore the relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth, in order to reveal how to effectively control environmental pollution while achieving economic development. In this study, emissions of SO₂, NOx, Smoke Dust and particulate matter (PM) are used as the main research variables, and the impact of these pollutants on GDP is assessed through empirical analysis. In this study, economic and environmental data mainly from various regions of China, combined with the environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis as a theoretical basis, developed and applied ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model to quantify the correlation between pollution and economic growth. The results show that SO₂ emissions have a significant negative impact on economic growth, while the impact of NOx, soot, and PM on GDP has not reached a noteworthy level. In addition, the study also found that the promotion of green technology and policy intervention have an important role in promoting pollution control, but their efficiency is limited by regional policy implementation and economic structure. The practical significance of this study is to provide theoretical support for the formulation of more targeted pollution control policies, especially in the aspects of improving local policy implementation, optimizing energy structure and promoting green technology innovation. This study not only provides the academic community with new evidence on the relationship between pollution and economy, but also provides specific guidance for policy makers to balance economic development and environmental protection.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Energy
Environment
Economic Growth
Environmental and Air Quality Management
Climate Change Policy and Economics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- GBP Proceedings Series
- Volume
- 20
- Pages
- 63–69
- Publication date
- 19 January 2026