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Title: Empowering sustainable growth: the transformative impact of environmental protection inspections on heavy polluters

Authors: Yingbo Gu; Chang Liu

Addresses: Sino-Germen School, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, China ' Liaoning Engineering Vocational College, Tieling, 112008, Liaoning, China

Abstract: This study finds that environmental protection inspections (EPI) significantly improve the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of China's A-share heavy polluters, primarily through modest gains in green innovation and compliance behaviour. Using panel data spanning from 2011 to 2019, this study employs the super-slacks-based measure (SBM) model and the Malmquist-Luenberger (ML) index to quantify GTFP, and applies a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to examine the dynamic relationship between EPI and GTFP. The empirical results indicate that EPI exerts a statistically significant and positive effect on GTFP among heavily polluting enterprises, with green technological innovation identified as a key mediating mechanism. Furthermore, regional heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive impacts of EPI are primarily concentrated in China's eastern and central regions, underscoring the influence of regional economic development levels on the effectiveness of environmental governance.

Keywords: EPI; environmental protection inspections; GTFP; green total factor productivity; heavy polluters; green technological innovation; environmental governance; sustainable economic development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2026.151756

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2026 Vol.76 No.1/2, pp.40 - 56

Received: 04 Jun 2025
Accepted: 12 Aug 2025
Published online: 18 Feb 2026 *