Combating cross-border externalities: Evidence from China’s inter-provincial ecological compensation initiatives

We examine China’s Ecological Compensation Initiative (ECI), which facilitates cross-provincial payments to reduce pollution in the Xin’an River. Using firm-level data, we find the policy significantly reduced upstream emissions, especially among firms closer to the river’s boundary. The ECI also increased firm exits and reduced new entries. A cost-benefit analysis shows that both upstream and downstream provinces benefited, as did the central government, supporting the ECI’s long-term feasibility and durability. Evidence from similar later programs highlights the ECI’s broader relevance, suggesting that well-designed compensation schemes can effectively address cross-jurisdictional environmental externalities.