Does soil mineral pollution prevention and control improve the competitiveness of mining corporations? Evidence from China’s new regulatory framework

This study leverages China's Soil Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (SPPCAP) as a quasi-natural experiment and utilizes panel data from listed mineral enterprises in China's A-share market between 2012 and 2023. A difference-in-differences model is employed to evaluate the policy's impact. First, the results demonstrate that the SPPCAP significantly enhances the competitiveness of mineral enterprises. Second, the mechanism analysis reveals that this effect is primarily driven by improved resource allocation and technological innovation. Third, the heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact is more pronounced among enterprises located in regions with higher industrial output and among non-state-owned enterprises. Additionally, the findings highlight that the SPPCAP promotes a more efficient reallocation of bank credit.T