Study Reveals Positive Impact of National Agricultural Green Development Pilot Zone Policy on Agricultural Carbon Emission Efficiency

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from Northeast Agricultural University have conducted a study on the impact of the National Agricultural Green Development Pilot Zone (NAGDPZ) policy on agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE) in 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2013 to 2023. The study found that the overall ACEE in the YRD region has improved, with a spatial distribution that is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. The NAGDPZ policy was found to have a significant positive effect on ACEE, with a coefficient of 0.049, and even after robustness tests.

Key Takeaways:

  • The overall ACEE in the YRD region has improved, with a spatial distribution that is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest.
  • The NAGDPZ policy can significantly enhance the ACEE, with a coefficient of 0.049, and even after robustness tests.
  • The NAGDPZ policy has expanded the agricultural operation scale (AOS) and enhanced agricultural labor productivity (ALP), improving the ACEE.
  • The pilot scope of the NAGDPZ should be expanded to further reduce agricultural carbon emissions.
  • The study was based on panel data from 41 cities in the YRD from 2013 to 2023, and used the difference-in-differences (DID) method for analysis.
  • The research was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China Later-stage Funding Project.

Statistics:

  • 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) were included in the study.
  • The study period was from 2013 to 2023.
  • The overall ACEE in the YRD region improved by an average of 0.049.
  • The NAGDPZ policy was found to significantly enhance the ACEE by 0.049 after robustness tests.

Sources:

  • Land. Research on the Impact of the National Agricultural Green Development Pilot Zone Policy on Agricultural Carbon Emission Efficiency-A Quasi-Natural Experiment in 41 Cities in the Yangtze River Delta, China. 2025;14(8):1670.
  • Northeast Agricultural University. Shuang Liu, Huimin Liu, Jie Shang. Research on the Impact of the National Agricultural Green Development Pilot Zone Policy on Agricultural Carbon Emission Efficiency-A Quasi-Natural Experiment in 41 Cities in the Yangtze River Delta, China.
  • National Social Science Foundation of China. Later-stage Funding Project.