AUTHOR=Yin Bibo , Kuang Ping , Deng Xinhui 

TITLE=The effect of synergistic pollution and carbon reduction in the digital economy: Quasi-experimental evidence from Chinese cities

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Energy Research

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/energy-research/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2023.1267355

DOI=10.3389/fenrg.2023.1267355

ISSN=2296-598X

ABSTRACT=The digital economy plays a crucial role in achieving synergistic reduction in air pollutants and carbon emissions. Based on panel data from 278 cities above the prefecture level from 2006 to 2019, a super-efficiency slack-based model with undesirable outputs was applied to systematically calculate the efficiency of synergistic air pollutants and carbon emissions governance (ESACG). After establishing the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone as a quasi-natural experiment, this study used the difference-in-differences (DID) and propensity score matching-DID methods to investigate the impact of the digital economy on the ESACG. We explored its impact mechanisms in three dimensions: source management, process control, and end blocking. We then considered the moderating effects of urban "hard facilities" and the "soft environment." Furthermore, the heterogeneous impacts of the digital economy on the ESACG in the experimental zone types, the potential for synergistic emissions reduction, and urban resource endowment were studied using the quantile DID method and generalized random forest model. The research found that, firstly, the digital economy significantly improved the ESACG by optimizing industrial structure in source management, improving energy utilization efficiency in process control, and promoting green technological innovation in end blocking. The digital literacy of talent and digital financial support strengthened its enhancing effect, but the digital infrastructure was insignificant. Secondly, the digital economy significantly enhanced the ESACG in the cross-regional and regional demonstration zones but inhibited it in the pioneering zones. Its impact on the ESACG in big data infrastructure-integrated development zones was insignificant. Thirdly, between the 25th and 90th quantiles, there was an asymmetric inverted U-shaped influence of the digital economy on the ESACG, with no discernible impact at the 10th quantile. In cities with better economic development and technological innovation, the contribution of the digital economy to the ESACG was more significant. Accordingly, it is necessary to continuously advance the construction of existing pilot zones, steadily expand their coverage, and differentiate between harnessing the experiences of reducing pollution and carbon emissions to formulate strategies for synergistic regional governance.