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Based on panel data from 1997 to 2015 in China, in this paper, the direct and indirect effects of three types of environmental regulation on energy consumption are explored with the 2SLS and system GMM method. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) the effects of three types of environmental regulation on energy consumption are quite varied. The cost effect of the economical environmental regulation is significant in the direct path. However, the phenomenon of "Green Paradox" emerges in legal and supervised types of environmental regulation. The "rebound effect" of energy, which led to a new energy demand, is greater than the energy conservation generated by technological innovation in the indirect path, which is embodied as a suppression effect. (2) The legal and supervised types of environmental regulation in the eastern, central, and western regions have a Green Paradox and rebound effect on energy consumption. By contrast, the economical environmental regulation shows an opposite performance. (3) The counterfactual simulation results indicate that the net effects of three types of environmental regulation on energy consumption are different. Based on the findings, some corresponding policy implications are provided.

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The existing research on the business environment index system has a single viewpoint, which can hardly reflect the requirements of SDGs on the business environment. Few studies have focused on the “front end” factors determining the business environment. Based on panel data from 2011 to 2020, this study measures the business environment in 275 Chinese cities and uses the ArcGIS software and Natural Breaks (Jenks) to examine its spatiotemporal characteristics. The PSM‐DID model is utilized to examine the policy implications of the reform of government functions on the business environment. The findings demonstrate that China's urban business environment's total score has risen, and its geographic characteristics are “strong in the east and weak in the west.” Among the various sub‐dimensions of the business environment, the largest contribution is the infrastructure environment, followed by the rule of law environment. The reform of government functions can improve the business environment from the second year onward. Regional and city‐level heterogeneities exist in the effects of the reform of government functions on the business environment. In addition, informatization level, population density, and consumption level can optimize the business environment. This study provides a guide for accelerating the creation of a marketized, legalized, international, and sustainable business environment.