Ziyuan Kexue (Feb 2023)
Impact of digital economy on energy utilization efficiency of Chinese cities from the perspective of technology empowerment and spillover
Abstract
[Objective] This study focused on the green development effect of the digital economy, analyzed the mechanism of impact of the digital economy on cities’ energy utilization efficiency from the perspective of digital technology empowerment and digital technology spillover, and provided empirical evidence and policy reference for making full use of the digital economy to improve the regional green development level. [Methods] The Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index method was used to measure the green total factor energy efficiency of 279 prefecture-level cities in the Chinese mainland from 2012 to 2017, which was taken as a proxy variable of city energy utilization efficiency. The fixed effect model was used to preliminarily analyze the total impact of the digital economy on city energy utilization efficiency, and the impact channels of digital economy technology effect were analyzed by decomposing energy utilization efficiency and using a spatial econometric model. [Results] The regression coefficient of the digital economy development index and city energy utilization efficiency is significantly positive, indicating that the digital economy can significantly promote the improvement of city energy utilization efficiency. The decomposition regression results of energy utilization efficiency index show that the digital economy had no significant impact on technological efficiency, but had a significant positive impact on technological progress. When the technological progress index is replaced by the number of green invention patents, and regress the digital economy development index, the regression coefficient of the digital economy development index is also significantly positive. These regression results show that the digital economy can improve the city energy utilization efficiency by improving the progress of green technology. The spatial econometric regression results show that the direct effect of the digital economy on city energy utilization efficiency and energy technology progress was not significant, while the indirect effect was significantly positive, and the direct effect and indirect effect on energy technology efficiency were not significant, indicating that the digital economy mainly improved city energy utilization efficiency through the dissemination of green technology. The regression results of the heterogeneity analysis show that the regression coefficient of the digital economy development index and the energy utilization efficiency of cities with smaller population size and cities in western China was higher, indicating that the digital economy had a better effect on the cities with large space for energy utilization efficiency improvement. [Conclusion] The digital economy improved city energy utilization efficiency through technological progress and technology spillover, but it failed to work through the channel of green technology efficiency.
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