Empirical analysis of the influential factors of haze pollution in china—Based on spatial econometric model

Abstract

Based on spatial econometrics, this paper examines the impact of urbanization, coal consumption proportion, and traffic pressure on haze pollution and attempts to verify the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis by using 30 provinces’ panel data in China from 2003 to 2015. The global Moran’s I index indicates the positive spatial correlation of haze pollution, and the local Moran’s I index indicates the clustering phenomenon of haze pollution in local regions. This model shows that haze pollution has spatial spillover effects in China. The relationship between urbanization and haze pollution is an inverse U-type curve, and the increase in coal consumption proportion and traffic pressure may enhance the degree of haze pollution. To govern China’s haze pollution, China should promote regional collaborative governance, expand urban afforestation areas, adopt green buildings, increase green elements, enhance ecological factors, optimize energy structure and implement energy substitution, and develop public traffic.