Does Urban Forest Control Smog Pollution? Evidence from National Forest City Project in China

Abstract

The National Forest City (NFC) project is an important measure to promote the urban environment in China, but its environmental performances have not been fully evaluated yet. This paper uses difference-in-differences (DID) to evaluate the smog pollution controlling effects and mechanisms of the NFC project based on the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2000 to 2018. This study found the following: (1) The NFC project significantly reduced smog pollution by 3.4% on average; the effect strengthened over time and rose to 8.5% in the 10th year after the NFC project. The average treatment effect was also confirmed by a series of robustness tests. (2) The NFC project can control smog pollution by greening urban space and greening social culture. (3) The treatment effect was related to both natural factors and human factors. The reduction in smog pollution was much stronger in the southern, hilly, warm and humid regions. Public willingness and government attention to environmental protection help with the smog pollution controlling of the NFC project as well.