Does the green patent pre-examination program reduce environmental pollution?

China’s green patent pre-examination program, implemented through Intellectual Property Protection Centers (IPPCs), creates expedited examination procedures for green inventions. This study examines the program’s environmental impact by exploiting the staggered establishment of IPPCs across cities. Using a staggered difference-in-differences model with city-level data from 2012 to 2021, the analysis reveals that the program leads to significant reductions in sulfur dioxide and dust emissions in pilot cities. A series of robustness tests confirm that these effects appear causal. Furthermore, the study identifies three underlying mechanisms: stimulating green innovation, promoting the transfer of green technology, and restricting the entry of pollution-intensive firms. These channels contribute collectively to reductions in pollution. Notably, the program’s pollution reduction effects are more pronounced in regions with developing technology markets, weaker intellectual property protections, and less developed institutional environments. These results highlight the green patent pre-examination program as an effective policy for balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability, offering valuable insights for emerging economies pursuing green development.