ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Environment and Energy: Research on the Impact
of Collaborative Governance of Pollution
Reduction and Carbon Reduction on
High-quality Development of Energy
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1
Center for Agricultural-Sage Culture Studies, Weifang University of Science and Technology, Weifang Shandong
262700, China; Dhurakij Pundit University, 110/1-4 Prachachuen Road, Laksi, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
2
School of Economics and Bussiness Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan Hubei 430070, China
3
Business School, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo Shandong 255000, China
4
School of Economics and Management, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin Heilongjiang 150001, China
Submission date: 2024-12-08
Final revision date: 2025-05-31
Acceptance date: 2025-06-12
Online publication date: 2025-11-12
Corresponding author
Yanxia Diao
Business School, Shandong University of Technology, China
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to empirically assess the effect of collaborative governance of pollution
reduction and carbon reduction on high-quality development of energy across China’s provinces.
Against the backdrop of “peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality”, high-quality
development of energy is an important part of achieving high-quality development. As China’s
ecological civilization construction enters a new stage, whether the collaborative governance of
pollution reduction and carbon reduction can effectively guide and empower the high-quality
development of energy requires both theoretical explanation and empirical testing. To solve this problem,
this paper employs China’s provincial panel data from 2013 to 2022. The projection pursuit method
and the coupling coordination model are used to measure the core variables. On this basis, its direct
effects, heterogeneity effects, and nonlinear effects are discussed by using a variety of models. The results
show that: firstly, the collaborative governance of pollution reduction and carbon reduction has a direct
role in promoting the high-quality development of energy, the influence coefficient is 0.065; secondly,
the promotion effect has a heterogeneous effect, showing the gradient decline feature of “eastern
> central > western” and “non-energy-rich areas > energy-rich areas”; finally, its influence has
a threshold effect, when the advancement of industrial structure is higher than the threshold value
of 2.474, the level of urbanization is between 0.734 and 0.748 threshold values and environmental
regulation is higher than the threshold value of 2.793, the impact is more positive. This paper not
only provides a scientific basis and theoretical reference for helping China to achieve the high-quality
development of energy, but also further looks forward to the potential policy actions in the future.
These actions include driving technological innovation, optimizing policies and regulations, deepening international cooperation, and raising public awareness of environmental protection. The paper aims to
contribute to China’s energy transition and sustainable development within a broader global context.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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