Empirical analysis on the effectiveness of air quality control measures during mega events: Evidence from Beijing, China

The Chinese government adopted short-term air pollution control measures to ensure a blue sky when hosting mega events and to prevent the haze pollution from embarrassing the Chinese government in the presence of foreign leaders and media, by creating an impressive blue sky, such as the “APEC Blue”, “Parade Blue”, and “BRF Blue” skies. However, whether these measures were effective and how these measures created blue skies is unclear. This research utilizes the DID method to analyze the effectiveness of air pollution control measures during three mega events: APEC in 2014, the military parade in 2015, and the BRF in 2017, to investigate how the controlling measures create a blue sky. The results show that the air quality in Beijing improved significantly during the “APEC Blue” and “Parade Blue” events, while it did not significantly improve during the “BRF Blue” due to the principle of “non-disturbance on residents”. The most involved pollutants of PM_2.5, PM₁₀ reduced significantly during the APEC and military parade events. Robustness checks indicate that the results were reliable and authentic. These findings suggest that future air pollution control should focus on a balance of environmental/economic benefits, mitigation of household energy consumption, establishment of a long-term mitigation strategy, and implementation of supporting public policies.