Analysis of Factors Influencing PM_2.5 in Beijing: A Microcosmic and Dynamic Perspective for Sustainable Development

Haze pollution has become a hot issue concerned with the process of modernization and one serious problem requiring urgent solution, especially in Beijing. PM_2.5 is the main reason causing haze and its harm. Although there has been research centering on factors affecting PM_2.5, little attention has been devoted to the microcosmic and dynamic effects on it. Vector auto-regression (VAR) mode is applied in this study to explore the interaction between PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, CO and NO₂. Results of Granger causality tests tell that there exists causal relationship between PM₁₀, SO₂, CO, NO₂ and PM_2.5. Impulse response functions (IRFs) show that the response of PM_2.5 to a shock in CO is positive and large in the short period, while the reaction of PM_2.5 to a shock in SO₂ increases over time. Meanwhile, variance decomposition indicate that PM_2.5 is more closely related to CO in the short term while SO₂' influence accounts for a higher proportion in the long run. The findings provide a novel perspective to analyze the factors influencing PM_2.5 dynamically and contribute to a better understanding of haze and its relationship with sustainable development.