Modeling pollution control and performance in China's provinces

The paper constructs a pollution control performance (PCP) evaluation model by introducing the norm of n-dimensional space. The PCP of 30 Chinese provinces for the period of 2003-2008 is evaluated based on the model and the factors influencing China's pollution control are further examined. It is found that: (1) China's PCP has improved rapidly but there is a large regional imbalance with the PCP of Eastern China being much better than that of Central and Western China; (2) to improve the level of China's PCP, government policies should consider industrial structure adjustment, restricting industry entries and increased investment in pollution abatement and R&D. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.