Impacts of Industrial Restructuring and Technological Progress on PM(2.5) Pollution: Evidence from Prefecture-Level Cities in China

PM(2.5) pollution has produced adverse effects all over the world, especially in fast-developing China. PM(2.5) pollution in China is widespread and serious, which has aroused widespread concern of the government, the public and scholars. This paper evaluates the evolution trend and spatial pattern of PM(2.5) pollution in China based on the data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2017, and reveals the pollution situation of PM(2.5) and its relationship with industrial restructuring and technological progress by using spatial dynamic panel model. The results show that China’s PM(2.5) pollution has significant path dependence and spatial correlation, and the industrial restructuring and technological progress have significant positive effects on alleviating PM(2.5) pollution. As a decomposition item of technological progress, technical change effectively alleviates PM(2.5) pollution. Another important discovery is that the interaction between industrial restructuring and technological progress will aggravate PM(2.5) pollution. Finally, in order to effectively improve China’s air quality, while advocating the Chinese government to pursue high-quality development, this paper puts forward a regional joint prevention mechanism.