Industrial agglomeration is a major source of regional economic development and the main pattern enterprises employ after having developed to a certain stage. Industrial agglomeration also affects the emissions of air pollutants in production. Based on provincial panel data for China from 2006 to 2019, this paper introduces the full generalized least squares (FGLS) panel econometrics model. By considering spatial correlation, the potential endogenous problem has been controlled using the instrumental variable and the effects of the co-agglomeration of manufacturing and producer services on three major air pollutants, i.e., SO₂, PM_2.5, and NO_x, have been empirically estimated. The empirical results show that: (1) The agglomeration of manufacturing increases the emission of PM_2.5 in the air, while the agglomeration of producer services and the co-agglomeration of manufacturing and producer services reduce it. Moran correlation index test showed that SO₂ and NO_x had no significant spatial correlation. (2) The agglomeration of manufacturing, the agglomeration of producer services, and co-agglomeration exert the most significant effects on PM_2.5 in the air in central and western China. This is probably because of the availability of basic natural resources in these areas. (3) The energy consumption structure mediates the effect of the agglomeration of manufacturing on PM_2.5, and human capital mediates the effect of the agglomeration of producer services on PM_2.5 emissions. Based on the results, policy suggestions to improve the atmospheric environment during the process of industrial agglomeration are proposed.

Thermal power generation based on coal-fired power plants has the advantages of stability and controllability and has been the largest source of electricity supply in China. Coal-fired power plants, however, are also accompanied by high carbon emissions and the release of harmful substances (mainly including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and smoke dust), and are even regarded as the “chief criminal” in terms of air pollution. However, thermal power is also a pioneering industry involved in several environmental regulations and cleaner production techniques before other industries. Evidence of this is China’s ultra-low emissions (ULE) policy on coal-fired power plants, implemented in 2015. To verify this policy’s effect, this study treats ULE as an exogenous impact variable, examining its emissions reduction effect on SO₂, NO_x, and smoke dust in Eastern and Central China using the difference-in-difference method (DID). The results show that the total emissions of the three pollutants were abated by 0.133%, 0.057% and 0.036% in Eastern, and by 0.120%, 0.035% and 0.043% in Central China at every 1% rise of thermal power generated after ULE. In addition, several other factors can also argue for the promotion of thermal power. Other industries, such as steel or chemical, have proven that they can contribute significant SO₂ and NO_x emissions. Based on these results, we provide suggestions on synergistic emissions reduction among multiple industries, as well as a discussion on the necessity of implementing ULE in Western China.

As renewable energy expands rapidly in installed capacity and in built-over area, constructors and researchers are shifting their sights from the lands to the seas. Offshore wind power (OWP), or offshore wind farm, is a typical source of the renewable energy constructed on the offshore islands or in the oceans. Since the installed capacity of OWP has become booming since 2000, its relevant researches also grow substantially. The objective of this paper is to quantify the research works of OWP and to analyze their focuses, main producers and high impact literature using bibliometric method, where the OWP-related core literature in recent 40 years are sorted out and a visualized analysis closely concerned terms, contributors on national/regional basis, and highly cited articles. The results show that researchers have been largely followed on the grid-connection operations, the frameworks and the ambient environment change of offshore wind power. Moreover, the UK has taken the leading position on the study of OWP at present.