Does high-speed railway aggravate environmental inequality in China?

IF 7.3 1区工程技术 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment Pub Date : 2025-04-07 DOI:10.1016/j.trd.2025.104720

Yun Wang , Lin Fu , Xiaohua Sun , Ning Jia

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The existing research has overlooked the potential effects of High-speed railway (HSR) on environmental inequality, a key concern about the regional coordinated development. This study delves into the impacts and underlying mechanisms of HSR on environmental inequality. Using provincial-level panel data of China spanning the years 2004 to 2019, our empirical results reveal that HSR aggravates environmental inequality across regions, which is supported by a series of robustness tests. Specifically, HSR contributes to regional environmental inequality through two mechanisms: it facilitates the pollution transfer from developed to underdeveloped regions and creates a disparity in the green transformation of polluting enterprises between regions. Moreover, more stringent environmental regulations in underdeveloped regions are found to dampen the transfer of polluting activities and narrow the green transformation gap across regions, thereby alleviating environmental inequalities. The findings have important implications for local governments in implementing differentiated regional development strategies and selecting appropriate environmental regulatory instruments to bridge environmental inequality.

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来源期刊

Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment 工程技术-运输科技

CiteScore

14.40

自引率

9.20%

发文量

314

审稿时长

39 days

期刊介绍： Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment focuses on original research exploring the environmental impacts of transportation, policy responses to these impacts, and their implications for transportation system design, planning, and management. The journal comprehensively covers the interaction between transportation and the environment, ranging from local effects on specific geographical areas to global implications such as natural resource depletion and atmospheric pollution. We welcome research papers across all transportation modes, including maritime, air, and land transportation, assessing their environmental impacts broadly. Papers addressing both mobile aspects and transportation infrastructure are considered. The journal prioritizes empirical findings and policy responses of regulatory, planning, technical, or fiscal nature. Articles are policy-driven, accessible, and applicable to readers from diverse disciplines, emphasizing relevance and practicality. We encourage interdisciplinary submissions and welcome contributions from economically developing and advanced countries alike, reflecting our international orientation.