Li Yi, Zhou Bing
Institute for Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone Development, Chongqing Technology and Business University, 19 Xuefu Dadao, Nanan District, Chongqing, 400067, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 18;14(1):16645. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-67669-4.
It is of critical importance to address energy poverty in rural areas if inclusive prosperity is to be achieved. Digital finance offers new opportunities to alleviate energy poverty in these regions. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the impact of digital finance on poverty, neglecting research on its impact in rural areas and on specific forms of poverty. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the impact of digital finance on rural energy poverty. The period 2011-2021 was selected as the observation period, with 31 provinces serving as the study objects. The fixed effects model was employed to investigate the impact of digital finance on rural energy poverty, while exploring the mediating effect. The results indicate that digital finance alleviates the level of rural energy poverty, and this conclusion remains valid following a series of robustness tests. Furthermore, digital finance can indirectly alleviate rural energy poverty through technological innovation and agricultural entrepreneurship activities. Further research indicates that the impact of digital finance on rural energy poverty is more pronounced in regions with abundant human capital, robust government intervention, and minimal urban-rural disparities. This study extends the theoretical support for digital finance to indirectly support rural energy to alleviate poverty. Likewise, this finding provides a new perspective for the government and relevant departments to improve the welfare of residents and alleviate rural energy poverty.
如果要实现包容性繁荣，解决农村地区的能源贫困问题至关重要。数字金融为缓解这些地区的能源贫困提供了新机遇。然而，以往研究主要关注数字金融对贫困的影响，而忽视了其在农村地区以及对特定贫困形式影响的研究。本研究旨在通过调查数字金融对农村能源贫困的影响来填补这一空白。选取2011 - 2021年作为观察期，以31个省份作为研究对象。采用固定效应模型研究数字金融对农村能源贫困的影响，并探究其中介效应。结果表明，数字金融降低了农村能源贫困水平，且经过一系列稳健性检验后该结论依然成立。此外，数字金融可以通过技术创新和农业创业活动间接缓解农村能源贫困。进一步研究表明，在人力资本丰富、政府干预力度大以及城乡差距小的地区，数字金融对农村能源贫困的影响更为显著。本研究拓展了数字金融间接支持农村能源扶贫的理论支撑。同样，这一发现为政府及相关部门提高居民福利、缓解农村能源贫困提供了新视角。
