Energy quota trading policy and energy efficiency: The role of government supervision and public participation

Unlike carbon emissions trading based on end-of-pipe regulation, the Energy Quota Trading (EQT) policy represents a market-oriented environmental regulation rooted in source control. However, its effectiveness on energy efficiency remains to be scrutinized. Using the panel data of 269 cities in China from 2011 to 2021, we employ the difference-in-differences method to examine whether and how the EQT policy impacts energy efficiency. Our results reveal that the EQT policy can significantly enhance green total factor energy efficiency. Mechanism analysis indicates that this promotion is primarily achieved by fostering green technology innovation and facilitating industrial structure upgrading. Further investigations explore the moderating role of external supervision, demonstrating that government supervision and public participation can amplify the EQT policy's efficacy in promoting energy efficiency. This underscores the complementary role of governmental and public in bolstering the utility of market-oriented incentives. Additionally, we identify significant heterogeneity in EQT policy effects across cities with varying geographical locations and development strategies. Our research offers critical insights into the adoption of source-control environmental regulations for developing countries.