The effect of local government competition on the synergistic pollution and carbon reduction in animal husbandry

Local governments are the core drivers of green development in animal husbandry. Investigating the impact and mechanisms of local government competition on the synergistic development of pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction in animal husbandry is crucial for achieving China’s environmental pollution control and “dual carbon” goals. This study, based on panel data from 17 provinces in China from 2007 to 2022, applies the spatial Durbin model and mediation effect model to analyze the influence of local government competition on carbon emissions, pollution emissions, and their coordinated reduction in animal husbandry. The results indicate that: 1) Local government competition significantly promotes pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction in both local and neighboring areas, and facilitates their synergistic development. 2) Command-and-control environmental regulations, market-incentive environmental regulations, and public-participation environmental regulations act as mediators between local government competition and the coordinated development of pollution and carbon emission reduction in animal husbandry. 3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the direct effect of local government competition on the coordinated development of pollution and carbon reduction in local animal husbandry is more pronounced in non-arid areas, provinces with higher economic development levels, and major animal husbandry provinces, whereas the spatial spillover effect is stronger in non-arid areas, provinces with lower economic development levels, and major animal husbandry provinces. Therefore, to fully leverage the promoting effect of local government competition on the coordinated reduction of pollution and carbon emissions in animal husbandry, regional differences in resource endowments should be considered, and the role of environmental regulations should be strengthened to support the green and low-carbon development of the sector.