Economic Growth and Environmental Quality : A Case Study from Industrial Sulfur Dioxide Provincial Panel Data in China

The Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis postulates an inverted-U shaped relationship between GDP per capita and various pollutants. Pollutants emission increases up to a certain level as income goes up; after that, it decreases. This paper investigates the relationship between industry pollutants taking industrial sulfur dioxide omission as example, and economic growth by using province-panel data set from 1989 to 2004 in 28 provinces of P. R. China. The result shows that the EKC hypothesis may be supported in the case of industrial sulfur dioxide, and the GDP per capital of turning point is about RMB 13,548 (at 1978 price). Except Shanghai, all the provinces GDP per capital in this study are less than RMB 13,548, indicating the amount of industrial sulfur dioxide emission will be increasing in the near future. To realize sustainable development and pollutants abatement, the central and local government should adopt an integrated strategy to protect environment.