Incentivizing China’s urban mayors to mitigate pollution externalities

Zheng, Siqi, Kahn, Matthew E., Sun, Weizeng and Luo, Danglun (March 2013), Incentivizing China’s Urban Mayors to Mitigate Pollution Externalities: The Role of the Central Government and Public Environmentalism . NBER Working Paper No. w18872. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2230762 (accessed 27 March 2013).

China’s extremely high levels of urban air, water and greenhouse gas emissions levels pose local and global environmental challenges. China’s urban leaders have substantial influence and discretion over the evolution of economic activity that generates such externalities. This paper examines the political economy of urban leaders’ incentives to tackle pollution issues. Based on a principal-agent framework, we present evidence consistent with the hypothesis that both the central government and the public are placing pressure on China’s urban leaders to mitigate externalities. Such “pro-green” incentives suggest that many of China’s cities could enjoy significant environmental progress in the near future.

Jacqueline Nivard
Jacqueline Nivard
Jacqueline Nivard, Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine

OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Jacqueline Nivard (March 28, 2013). Incentivizing China’s urban mayors to mitigate pollution externalities. URBACHINA. Retrieved June 17, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/v2ea


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