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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Digital Economy’s Role in Environmental
Sustainability: Air Quality Enhancement
through the ‘Broadband China’ Initiative
1
School of Economics and Trade, Guangzhou Xinhua University, Guangzhou 510520, China
2
School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Submission date: 2024-03-05
Final revision date: 2024-08-27
Acceptance date: 2024-09-09
Online publication date: 2024-10-31
Publication date: 2025-11-04
Corresponding author
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(6):7411-7421
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The digital economy (DE), characterized by the fusion of financial and technological elements,
offers novel avenues for promoting environmental sustainability. This research investigates the impact
of DE on air quality within the framework of the ‘Broadband China’ initiative, employing a natural
experiment methodology. Utilizing a difference-in-differences approach, we demonstrate that DE
effectively ameliorates air quality, evidenced explicitly by significant reductions in PM2.5 concentration
and the Air Quality Index (AQI), with a cumulative effect that is particularly pronounced in regions
boasting robust innovation ecosystems, high population density, and diverse industrial landscapes.
Furthermore, the study also reveals the crucial role of green innovation in this process by promoting
the innovation of clean and environmental protection technologies to improve air quality. In addition,
indirect mechanisms such as energy structure optimization, industrial restructuring, and green finance
support are identified in this study, which further promote environmental sustainability by promoting
the development of environmentally friendly industries and enhancing the efficiency of environmental
regulation. These findings confirm the potential of DE in environmental governance and sustainable
development and provide an empirical basis for policymakers to strengthen the integration of DE
and environmental protection through circular economy principles and green finance incentives.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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