A Study of the Impact of Free Trade Zones on The Efficiency of Low-carbon Production

Xinrui Lian

doi:10.6918/IJOSSER.202508_8(8).0029

Authors

Xinrui Lian

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6918/IJOSSER.202508_8(8).0029

Keywords:

FTA policies, low-carbon productivity, green development, environmental impacts.

Abstract

The Pilot Free Trade Zone is a ‘testing ground’ for high-level opening up, and in the context of the ‘dual-carbon’ goal, achieving carbon emission reduction and improving low-carbon productivity are important measures for China to make new breakthroughs in the high-quality development of social economy. Based on the panel data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2009 to 2020, this paper examines the impact of FTZ construction on low-carbon productivity using the double-difference method. It is found that FTZ construction can positively promote the low-carbon productivity level of enterprises, and this result holds under multiple robustness tests. Compared with state-owned enterprises, the low-carbon productivity of non-state-owned enterprises is more significantly improved by the impact of FTZ policies. The FTZ policy promotes enterprises to utilise resources more efficiently, improve operational efficiency, and achieve technological efficiency improvement, which in turn improves low-carbon productivity. This study helps to enrich the path of enterprise productivity improvement, promote enterprises to realise green production, and provide a new implementation path for the government's FTZ policy.

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