Cities across China are transforming to become more environmentally sustainable, but this “green transition” is happening very unevenly—and new research reveals that the biggest gaps aren’t between provinces, but between cities within the same province.
A study published in the journal Habitat International examined nearly 300 Chinese cities from 2004 to 2021 to understand why some cities contribute more to environmental inequality than others. Jesse Rodenbiker, RCEI Affiliate and Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Rutgers University, is a co-author on the study.
The researchers found that provincial capital cities are increasingly dominating their regions’ green development, creating a “capital city siphoning effect.” These major cities attract green resources, technology, and talent, while smaller cities within the same province struggle to keep pace. This concentration has intensified over time, with nearly all top contributors to provincial inequality being capital cities by 2021.
The study also revealed surprising patterns about what drives these inequalities. Industrial development actually helped reduce inequality in many cases, contradicting common assumptions that factories always harm the environment. Meanwhile, higher education consistently widened gaps, as universities concentrated in major cities produced graduates who often moved to even larger metropolitan areas rather than helping their home regions.
Climate change emerged as both a challenge and inequality driver. Weather disruptions affected food systems and supply chains unevenly, pushing some communities toward less sustainable processed foods when fresh options became scarce.
“An understanding of China’s political economy is central to why green transformation unfolds unevenly.” Rodenbiker explained. “The forces of capital concentration, infrastructure, and inequality can either narrow or widen interprovincial divides depending on local power structures and development trajectories, making one-size-fits-all governance ineffective.
The findings have important implications for climate policy worldwide. As cities globally pursue green transformations, the research suggests that simply investing in green technology or education isn’t enough—policies must be tailored to each city’s specific circumstances and actively work to prevent dominant cities from monopolizing environmental benefits.
You can read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103618
This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Oliver Stringham, and was reviewed by Jesse Rodenbiker, a co-author on the study.
