College of Statistics and Applied Mathematics, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, 233030, China.
School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China; Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China; Sustainable Development Research Institute for Economy and Society of Beijing, Beijing, 100081, China; Beijing Key Lab of Energy Economics and Environmental Management, Beijing, 100081, China; Yangtze Delta Region Academy of Beijing Institute of Technology, Jiaxing, 314001, China.
J Environ Manage. 2023 Sep 15;342:118235. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118235. Epub 2023 Jun 2.
Countries around the world are increasingly turning towards developing digital economies to find better strategies for tackling the environmental pollution associated with economic growth while also pursuing high-quality economic conditions. This study aims to probe the link between coordinated regional digital economy development (RDEC) and air quality. A province-level RDEC indicator based on city-level data is developed, and air pollution is gauged by annual average PM concentrations. Furthermore, a spatial simultaneous equation model is employed to examine the causality further. The empirical results indicate that a bilateral causal relationship exists: RDEC improves air quality, and better air quality also facilitates RDEC. This relationship is influenced by spatial spillover effects. Specifically, air quality and RDEC of an area have a negative influence on the RDEC of neighboring regions, while they have a positive impact on neighboring areas' air quality. Further analysis suggests that green total factor productivity, advanced industrial structure, and regional entrepreneurship level can indirectly affect the contribution of RDEC to air quality. Additionally, the impact of air quality on RDEC may be realized through the increase in labor productivity, lower external environmental costs of regional economic development, and enhanced regional foreign economic exchange.
世界各国越来越倾向于发展数字经济，以寻找更好的策略来应对与经济增长相关的环境污染，同时追求高质量的经济条件。本研究旨在探讨区域数字经济协调发展（RDEC）与空气质量之间的联系。基于城市层面的数据，开发了一个省级 RDEC 指标，并用年度平均 PM 浓度来衡量空气污染。此外，还采用空间联立方程模型进一步检验因果关系。实证结果表明，两者之间存在双向因果关系：RDEC 改善了空气质量，而更好的空气质量也促进了 RDEC。这种关系受到空间溢出效应的影响。具体来说，一个地区的空气质量和 RDEC 对相邻地区的 RDEC 有负面影响，而对相邻地区的空气质量有积极影响。进一步的分析表明，绿色全要素生产率、先进的产业结构和区域创业水平可以间接影响 RDEC 对空气质量的贡献。此外，空气质量对 RDEC 的影响可能是通过提高劳动生产率、降低区域经济发展的外部环境成本以及增强区域对外经济交流来实现的。
