财政分权、环境保护支出与雾霾污染

中国式分权带来经济增长奇迹的同时,带来的雾霾污染问题也引发利益相关者的高度关注,考究中国式分权、环境保护支出对雾霾污染的作用机理,可以为中国城市雾霾治理提供决策参考。本文利用2008—2015年中国73个重点监测城市的面板数据,使用静态模型和动态模型实证检验财政分权、环境保护支出对雾霾污染的影响,研究发现：①无论是财政支出分权、还是收入分权亦或是财政自由度均与雾霾污染呈显著正相关,环境保护支出与雾霾污染呈显著负相关;②财政分权与环境保护支出交互项与雾霾污染呈显著负相关,交互项系数远小于财政分权系数;③经济发展程度与雾霾污染并未呈现出“倒U型”关系,外商直接投资与雾霾污染呈显著正相关。基于此提出：完善地方政府环境考核体系,建立官员终身追责制度;规范地方政府间竞争,改革环境预算软约束问题;推进财政分权体制改革,加快产业结构升级的政策建议。

Fiscal decentralization,environmental protection expenditure and haze pollution

Chinese style fiscal decentralization has resulted in stunning economic growth, but haze pollution has aroused concerns from stakeholders. Research on the mechanism of China's decentralization and environmental protection expenditure on haze pollution is needed to provide decision-making references for urban haze management in China. Here, we empirically researched relationships among fiscal decentralization, environmental protection expenditure and haze pollution using static and dynamic modeling of panel data from 73 monitored environment cities in China from 2008-2015. We found that fiscal expenditure decentralization or revenue decentralization or financial freedom have a remarkable positive correlation with haze pollution, and a significant negative correlation between environmental protection expenditure and haze pollution. The interaction between fiscal decentralization and environmental protection expenditure is negatively related to haze pollution and the interaction coefficient is far less than the fiscal decentralization coefficient. The degree of economic development and haze pollution is not a ‘reverse U’ relationship, and there is a significant positive correlation between foreign direct investment and haze pollution. For early realization of China's new normal of urban haze governance, we need to improve the environmental assessment system for local governments; establish a system of lifelong accountability for officials; standardize competition among local governments; reform the soft constraint of environmental budget; promote reform of fiscal decentralization; and accelerate the upgrade of industrial structure.