Air pollution control policies and impacts: A review

Air pollution, due to its detrimental impacts on the environment, economy, and human health, has emerged as a significant global challenge. To curb air pollution, policymakers have implemented a series of policies. Evaluating the effectiveness of these policies is a critical part of the policy-making process, as it can inform the development of more efficient and impactful policies. We presented a systematic review of research conducted between 1998 and 2022 on this subject, employing bibliometric analysis and keyword co-occurrence network analysis. Our findings reveal a rising trend in research, which has evolved from focusing solely on air pollutants to including methodologies, policies, and health implications. More recently, it has expanded to incorporate a broader range of pollutants and methodologies. Ex-post evaluation methods, including empirical analysis, bottom-up approaches, emission inventory, and macro models, are more commonly used by researchers. China has emerged as a major contributor in this field of research, and the comprehensive sector is the most frequently addressed. This study illuminates trends and gaps in air pollution policy research, offering valuable insights for future inquiries and policy-making.