Yuan Honglin, Liu Jia, Li Xiaona, Zhong Shen
Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, China.
Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, China.
PLoS One. 2024 Jan 26;19(1):e0297009. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297009. eCollection 2024.
Environmental pollution has become a pressing global issue, severely threatening human health and ecosystems. As an emerging driver of economic development in countries worldwide, the digital economy (DE) has the potential to enhance resource utilization efficiency and promote the development of clean technologies, thereby reducing environmental pollution. Based on the panel data of 267 cities in China from 2012 to 2021, the spatial econometric model is used to test the impact of DE on environmental pollution. The mediating effect model is used to explore the transmission mechanism of DE affecting environmental pollution. The panel threshold model is used to examine the threshold effect of marketization. The results are as follows: (1) DE can significantly reduce environmental pollution. The conclusion is still valid after conducting robustness tests such as selecting historical data as instrumental variables and the "Broadband China" pilot as a quasi-natural experiment. (2) From the perspective of transmission mechanism, DE can reduce environmental pollution through green technology innovation and industrial structure upgrading. (3) From the perspective of spatial spillover effect, DE can reduce the environmental pollution level of surrounding cities. (4) From the perspective of threshold effect, DE has obvious market-oriented single threshold effect on environmental pollution. When the marketization level crosses the threshold of 11.6611, the emission reduction effect of DE is significant. (5) From the perspective of heterogeneity, DE has a heterogeneous impact on environmental pollution in cities with different geographic locations, resource endowments and administrative level. Regarding geographical heterogeneity, DE can effectively reduce environmental pollution in eastern and central regions, but has no significant impact on environmental pollution in western regions. Regarding the heterogeneity of resource endowment, compared to non-resource-based cities, resource-based cities suffer more from the negative effects of DE on their environment. Regarding the heterogeneity of administrative levels, compared with non-central cities, the DE of central cities has a greater emission reduction effect. Based on empirical results, this paper proposes strategic recommendations in areas such as enhancing the application of DE in emission reduction, upgrading industrial structures, promoting green technology innovation, and improving the level of marketization. This study not only enriches the research of DE and environmental pollution, but also provides a reference for the formulation of environmental pollution control policies.
环境污染已成为一个紧迫的全球性问题，严重威胁着人类健康和生态系统。作为全球各国经济发展的新兴驱动力，数字经济有潜力提高资源利用效率，促进清洁技术发展，从而减少环境污染。基于2012年至2021年中国267个城市的面板数据，运用空间计量模型检验数字经济对环境污染的影响。运用中介效应模型探究数字经济影响环境污染的传导机制。运用面板门槛模型考察市场化的门槛效应。结果如下：（1）数字经济能显著降低环境污染。在进行如选择历史数据作为工具变量以及“宽带中国”试点作为准自然实验等稳健性检验后，该结论仍然成立。（2）从传导机制来看，数字经济能通过绿色技术创新和产业结构升级减少环境污染。（3）从空间溢出效应来看，数字经济能降低周边城市的环境污染水平。（4）从门槛效应来看，数字经济对环境污染具有明显的市场化单门槛效应。当市场化水平跨越11.6611的门槛时，数字经济的减排效应显著。（5）从异质性来看，数字经济对不同地理位置、资源禀赋和行政级别的城市的环境污染有不同影响。关于地理异质性，数字经济能有效降低东部和中部地区的环境污染，但对西部地区的环境污染无显著影响。关于资源禀赋异质性，与非资源型城市相比，资源型城市受数字经济对其环境负面影响的影响更大。关于行政级别异质性，与非中心城市相比，中心城市的数字经济减排效果更大。基于实证结果，本文在加强数字经济在减排中的应用、升级产业结构、促进绿色技术创新和提高市场化水平等方面提出了战略建议。本研究不仅丰富了数字经济与环境污染的研究，也为环境污染控制政策的制定提供了参考。
