SO2 emissions and the environmental Kuznets curve: the case of Chinese provinces

This paper aims at estimating the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for the sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions in a panel of 28 Chinese provinces. First, using a fixed effects model, econometric findings reveal an N shape EKC with a turning point of 4500 yuans (index 1990). However, a Chow test reveals a break in 1995, so that the estimation of the model indicates an increasing linear relationship between GDP per capita and SO2 emissions. The previous results imply that the decrease of the Chinese sulphur dioxide emissions during 1996-1999 did not result from the ECK but from an exogenous public action.