A holistic approach to evaluating environmental policy impact using a difference-in-differences model

作者：Jianglong Cui, Tiansen Zou, Hengyuan Zhao, Xiaodie Zhang, Guowen Li, Shengwang Gao, Chengzhi Lv, Qiuheng Zhu, Lieyu Zhang, Haisheng Li · 发表于：Environmental Science and Ecotechnology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.ese.2025.100523 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Climate Change Policy and Economics、Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth、Energy, Environment, Economic Growth

Environmental protection policies (EPPs) play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development and maintaining ecological balance by establishing clear directives and standards. However, a comprehensive methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of these policies remains underdeveloped. Here, we employ a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to assess the effectiveness of EPPs, using the implementation of the Resident Work (RW) policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Drawing on urban-level panel data from the Yangtze River Basin between 2016 and 2021, we demonstrate that the DID model robustly evaluates the RW policy’s impact on water quality improvement. Cities that adopted the RW policy experienced a 0.0098 reduction in water pollution compared to non-adopting cities. A dynamic analysis revealed progressive water quality improvements over time, with stronger effects observed in economically disadvantaged cities. Furthermore, higher policy evaluation scores correlated with greater improvements in water quality. This study highlights the utility of the DID model in quantifying EPP effectiveness and offers a scalable framework for policy evaluation in environmental management. • RW policy is a new mode for dealing with regional environmental issues. • RW policy significantly enhances water quality by 0.0098 in the Yangtze River basin. • The improvement of water quality by the RW policy strengthens over time. • The effects of RW policy are more significant in economically di...