A simultaneous investigation of the environmental Kuznets curve for the agricultural and industrial sectors in China

Abstract We investigate the relationship between China’s high growth and environmental pollution from the agricultural and industrial sectors by estimating the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). We used panel data of Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above for the period between 2011 and 2015 and estimated the EKC models using the system generalized method of moments (GMM). We found that agricultural chemical oxygen demand (COD) and industrial wastewater depict N-shaped and reverse N-shaped curves. Further, an EKC for agricultural nitrogen balance has been established. We find that industrial sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and their emission intensity support the EKC hypothesis. Our research is then used to provide policymakers with guidance on mitigating environmental pollution by comparing and scrutinizing the characteristics of agricultural and industrial pollution in China.

摘要：我们通过估算环境库兹涅茨曲线（EKC）来研究中国农业和工业部门的高速增长与环境污染之间的关系。我们使用了2011年至2015年期间中国地级及以上城市的面板数据，并使用系统广义矩估计法（GMM）对EKC模型进行了估算。我们发现农业化学需氧量（COD）和工业废水呈现N形和倒N形曲线。此外，还建立了农业氮平衡的EKC曲线。我们发现工业二氧化硫（SO₂）排放量及其排放强度符合EKC假说。然后，我们通过比较和审视中国农业和工业污染的特征，利用我们的研究为政策制定者提供减轻环境污染的指导。