Recently, the paper "The Art of Not Being Chocked: Environmental Awareness, Residents' Responses and Land Transactions in China" by Zou Wei, a researcher at the Center for International Cooperation and Disciplinary Innovation of Income Distribution and Public Finance of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and his collaborators, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Development Economics, a top-tier journal in development economics.
Highlights:
This paper primarily investigates the impact of environmental awareness on land transactions. Research has found that cities with higher exposure to environmental documentaries exhibit a significant decline in land transactions. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effect is more pronounced in cities with higher dependence on land finance, better Internet infrastructure, and more severe air pollution. Additionally, land of lower quality, located further from the downtown area, transferred through auctions, and designated for commercial development is also more significantly impacted. Further analysis using national migrant population dynamic monitoring survey data and inter-city housing price search data reveals that following the documentary's broadcast, residents' awareness of air pollution significantly increased, while their willingness to relocate notably strengthened. This demonstrates that environmental awareness exerts tangible effects on residents' behavior and land transactions.
About the Author:
Zou Wei is a salaried associate professor at the School of Public Finance and Taxation, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. He is also a researcher at the Center for International Cooperation and Disciplinary Innovation of Income Distribution and Public Finance supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Additionally, he serves as a master's supervisor and holds a Ph.D. jointly awarded by Sun Yat-sen University and the National University of Singapore. His research areas include environmental economics, regional economics, and income distribution. He has published papers in domestic and international academic journals such as the Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Asian Economics, The Journal of World Economy, Journal of Financial Research, Statistical Research, and Chinese Public Administration. Besides, he has led or participated in projects specially funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, as well as research programs under the Department of Education of Hubei Province. Several of his decision-making and consulting results have received feedback from central, provincial, and ministerial leaders and have been adopted by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council.