Research on the Tripartite Evolutionary Game of Environmental Protection Supervision and Regulation in Rare Earth Industry Based on Reward, Punishment and Credit Constraint Mechanisms
In the context of fostering sustainable and healthy development within the rare earth industry, it is imperative that enterprises adhere to environmentally compliant operations. Nonetheless, the industry is currently confronted with significant challenges, including environmental regulatory rent-seeking, inadequate oversight, and insufficient supervision. These issues not only jeopardize the industry’s sustainable development but also pose potential risks to ecological environments. This study introduces an innovative tripartite evolutionary game model that incorporates rare earth enterprises, local ecological-environmental bureaus, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE). An in-depth analysis was conducted to investigate the evolutionary strategies of each stakeholder under various scenarios, and the stability of system equilibrium points was thoroughly examined. Additionally, numerical simulations were utilized to systematically assess the impact of key parameter adjustments on strategy selection, thereby providing quantitative scientific evidence to inform the optimization of regulatory policies. The findings indicate that: (1) The implementation of a robust reward-punishment mechanism by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) is crucial. This mechanism not only effectively mitigates rent-seeking behavior between rare earth enterprises and local environmental authorities but also steers all stakeholders towards environmentally compliant strategies by dynamically adjusting the intensity of incentives. (2) Excessively high reward levels may have detrimental effects, potentially reducing the central government’s motivation for stringent oversight. Consequently, a scientifically designed reward-punishment mechanism must ensure that “the aggregate of rewards/penalties for enterprises and the credit losses incurred under rigorous supervision surpass their rent-seeking benefits, or that the total rewards/penalties for local environmental bureaus exceed their collusion gains.” This is vital for ensuring the sustainable development of the industry. (3) The study underscores the limitations of singular governance approaches. The results demonstrate that relying solely on cost-benefit adjustments or traditional reward-punishment measures is inadequate for effective governance. It is recommended that the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) implement a collaborative governance strategy that capitalizes on the synergistic integration of reward-punishment and credit constraint mechanisms. By intensifying penalty severity and credit losses, alongside augmenting incentives and diminishing corporate environmental costs, the standardization of enterprise compliance can be more effectively realized.
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