Evaluating the coal-to-gas policy in China
Heterogeneous effects and implications for energy transition
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21691099 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yixuan Wang (0000-0002-5084-2455, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-26 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environment and Development Economics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1355-770X • E-ISSN: 1469-4395 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1355770x26100527 |
| OpenAlex | W7140206516 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 69 |
Using the synthetic difference-in-differences method, this study evaluates the comprehensive effects of the ‘coal-to-gas’ policy in China following its complete implementation in 2017. We propose four channels through which the policy could affect the air quality in untreated cities. The findings reveal a significant decrease in air pollution levels, as measured by PM10, in both the treated and untreated areas. However, the net spillover effect in the treated and untreated areas exhibits heterogeneous spatial distribution patterns due to different mechanisms. These differences could be related to the political economy and natural geography of China
Air pollution · Air quality index · China · Natural experiment · Politics · Spillover effect · Energy, Environment, Economic Growth · Environmental Impact and Sustainability · Global Energy Security and Policy
Migration and hedonic valuation
The winter choke
Spatial spillover effects of environmental regulations on air pollution
Synthetic Difference-in-Differences
New evidence on the impact of sustained exposure to air pollution on life expectancy from China’s Huai River Policy
The effect of air pollution on mortality in China
Quantitative Spatial Economics
Site Selection Bias in Program Evaluation
The ChinaHighPM10 dataset
The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance
Commuting, Migration, and Local Employment Elasticities
The energy transition
The next phase of the energy transition and its implications for research and policy
The effect of air pollution on China's internal migration
Moving from Unethical Competition to Sustainability
Career Incentives of City Leaders and Urban Spatial Expansion in China
Entry Deregulation, Market Turnover, and Efficiency
What is energy democracy? Connecting social science energy research and political theory
Trans-boundary air pollution spillovers
Are policy mixes in energy regulation effective in curbing carbon emissions? Insights from China's energy regulation policies
What is different about urbanization in rich and poor countries? Cities in Brazil, China, India and the United States
Willingness to Pay for Clean Air
Policy Experimentation in China
The Mortality Effects of Winter Heating Prices
Size and dynastic decline
Policy Diffusion
The Mechanisms of Policy Diffusion
Comparative Politics and the Synthetic Control Method
Searching for Good Policies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |