The environmental Kuznets curve for PM2.5 pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China: A spatial panel data approach

The purpose of this study is to exam the existence of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) of PM2.5 pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region of China. As one of the most important economic growth poles in China, BTH region has long been suffering from air pollution especially PM2.5 pollution. Thus, in this study, we utilized satellite observations of PM2.5 pollution and panel data of 13 cities in BTH region from 1998 to 2016 to investigate the relationship between economic growth and PM2.5 pollution. After verifying the spatial effect of PM2.5 pollution by spatial statistical analysis, the spatial econometric model, Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) was chosen over the non-spatial model in the examination of EKC. The results showed that: 1) the relationship between economic growth and PM2.5 pollution presented a significant inverted U-shaped pattern. Though BTH region is still in the upward section, there is a hope that it will cross the point and enter the downward section in the future: 2) the turning points of EKC would happen later with spatial effect considered, compared to the result of non-spatial model; 3) the turning point of EKC would not happen until the region enter the post-industrial economy stage. Moreover, though some of the cities in BTH region have entered post-industrial stage, none of them has cross the turning point of EKC. Results of this study indicate a promising future in the control of PM2.5 pollution, as well as provide suggestions to put more emphasis on regional cooperative governance in air pollution control for the policy makers. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.