Does the Air Pollution Joint Prevention and Control Policy Work: Evidence from China

Developing countries face significant challenges in managing regional air pollution. While previous studies show the benefits of the Air Pollution Joint Prevention and Control (AJPC) policy, there needs to be more understanding of its implementation challenges. Using data from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China and applying a tripartite evolutionary game (TEG) model along with a difference-in-differences (DID) method, our study talks about the effectiveness of AJPC policy. We find that the AJPC policy has positively impacted air quality. However, its effectiveness varies across regions and periods, making it difficult to achieve the original goals. Additionally, we identified challenges to implementing the policy, such as free-riding from governance spillover, the instability of central government regulation, and the limited policy-carrying capacity of micro-entities. Our findings highlight the complexity of regional pollution control and provide critical insights for refining pollution management strategies in developing countries, offering valuable guidance for policymakers aiming to enhance regional air quality control.