About the Journal
In Memory of Professor Jerzy Radecki
Editorial Office
Editorial Board
Scope
Impact Factor
Indexed in...
Journal Impact Factor contributing items
Contact
Subscription
Current issue
Online first
Notes to Authors
Frequently Asked Questions
Editorial policies
PJOES Publication Policy Overview
PJOES Peer Review Policy
PJOES Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
PJOES Plagiarism Policy
PJOES Conflict of Interest Policy
PJOES Open Access Policy
PJOES Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Archive
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
How Does the Digital Economy Improve Energy
Eco-Efficiency? Evidence from Provincial
Panel Data in China
1
School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China
Submission date: 2023-11-28
Final revision date: 2024-03-29
Acceptance date: 2024-05-03
Online publication date: 2024-09-16
Publication date: 2025-01-28
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(3):2819-2834
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
As a new driver for promoting energy eco-efficiency, the digital economy has practical significance
in ensuring energy security and constructing ecological civilization. This study examines the impact
of the digital economy on China’s inter-provincial energy eco-efficiency from 2013 to 2020 using slacksbased
measures. Firstly, the development of the digital economy significantly improves inter-provincial
energy eco-efficiency. This conclusion holds true even after conducting several robustness and
endogeneity tests. Secondly, the transition in energy consumption serves as the pathway of influence,
especially during its initial stage. Specifically, the digital economy enhances energy eco-efficiency by
reducing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing consumption intensity; however, the promotion effect of
renewable energy consumption is not evident between the two. Thirdly, the quality of green technology
innovation, rather than the quantity, plays a crucial role in acting as the influence path. Lastly,
the analysis of heterogeneities indicates that non-resource-based provinces and central regions benefit
from the digital economy’s contribution to their overall energy eco-efficiency.
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.
REFERENCES (46)
1.
CROMPTTON P., WU Y. Energy consumption in China: past trends and future directions. Energy Economics, 27 (1), 195, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enec....
2.
ZHOU M., WANG T., YAN L., XIE X. Heterogeneity in the influence of fiscal decentralization and economic competition on China's energy ecological efficiency. Resources Science, 41 (3), 532, 2019.
3.
YANG G., LI M. Fiscal decentralization, political promotion and energy eco-efficiency improvement--Empirical evidence based on 257 cities in China. Macroeconomic Research, 8, 41, 2018.
4.
YOU J., DONG H., JIANG B., ZHU Y., TAO J. Spatiotemporal non-stationarity of energy ecological efficiency and its driving factors in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Resources Science, 44 (11), 2207, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18402/resci....
5.
HOU J., HOU Y., WANG Q., YUE N. Can industrial agglomeration improve energy efficiency? Empirical evidence based on China's energy-intensive industries. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29 (53), 80297, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356....
6.
FU-CAI L., YUE Q., YUAN-BIN X. The Impact of Enterprise Digital Transformation on Total-Factor Energy Efficiency: From the Perspective of Specialized Division of Labor. Contemporary Finance ＆ Economics, (11), 3, 2023.
7.
WBCSD. Eco-efficient leadership for improved economic and environmental performance. WBCSD Geneva, Switzerland, 1996.
8.
SCHALTEGGER S., STURM A. Ökologische rationalität: ansatzpunkte zur ausgestaltung von ökologieorientierten managementinstrumenten. die Unternehmung, 273, 1990.
9.
LUO S., WANG D. The Effect of Carbon Trading Policy on Provincial Total Factor Energy Efficiency. Economic Geography, 42 (7), 53, 2022.
10.
LIU S.C., WU P.J. How does population agglomeration influence China's energy eco-efficiency? Evidence from spatial econometric analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30 (28), 72248, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356....
11.
PENG B.H., WANG Y.Y., WEI G. Energy eco-efficiency: Is there any spatial correlation between different regions? Energy Policy, 140, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpo....
12.
MANDAL S.K. Do undesirable output and environmental regulation matter in energy efficiency analysis? Evidence from Indian Cement Industry. Energy Policy, 38 (10), 6076, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpo....
13.
RASHIDI K., SHABANI A., SAEN R.F. Using data envelopment analysis for estimating energy saving and undesirable output abatement: a case study in the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 105, 241, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
14.
ZHANG C.Q., CHEN P.Y. Applying the three-stage SBM-DEA model to evaluate energy efficiency and impact factors in RCEP countries. Energy, 241, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ener....
15.
ZHAO H.L., LIN B.Q. Will agglomeration improve the energy efficiency in China's textile industry: Evidence and policy implications. Applied Energy, 237, 326, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apen....
16.
SONG M., PAN H., VARDANYAN M., SHEN Z. Evaluating the energy efficiency-enhancing potential of the digital economy: Evidence from China. Journal of Environmental Management, 344, 118408, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenv....
17.
WANG L., SHAO J. Digital economy, entrepreneurship and energy efficiency. Energy, 269, 126801, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ener....
18.
LI Y., YANG X., RAN Q., WU H., IRFAN M., AHMAD M. Energy structure, digital economy, and carbon emissions: evidence from China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28 (45), 64606, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356....
19.
ZHANG L., MU R., ZHAN Y., YU J., LIU L., YU Y., ZHANG J. Digital economy, energy efficiency, and carbon emissions: Evidence from provincial panel data in China. Science of The Total Environment, 852, 158403, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scit....
20.
CHEN X., HU D., CAO W., LIANG W., XU X., TANG X., WANG Y. Path of Digital Technology Promoting Realization of Carbon Neutrality Goal in China's Energy Industry. Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version), 36 (9), 1019, 2021.
21.
BEI C., JIAXIN J. Spatial Effect of Digital Technology on the Urban Green Development in Hunan Province. Economic Geography, 43 (11), 46, 2023.
22.
DAI X., YANG S. Digital empowerment, source of digital input and green manufacturing. China Industrial Economics, 9, 83, 2022.
23.
MOYER J.D., HUGHES B.B. ICTs: Do they contribute to increased carbon emissions? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 79 (5), 919, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tech....
24.
RUI-ZHI P., HONG-MING W. Digital Economy and Urban Green Development: Empowerment or Negative Energy? Studies in Science of Science, 1, 2023.
25.
IVANOV D., DOLGUI A., SOKOLOV B. The impact of digital technology and Industry 4.0 on the ripple effect and supply chain risk analytics. International journal of HAN L., CHEN S., LIANG L. Digital economy, innovation environment and urban innovation capabilities. Science Research Management, 42 (4), 35, 2021.
26.
HAN L., CHEN S., LIANG L. Digital economy, innovation environment and urban innovation capabilities. Science Research Management, 42 (4), 35, 2021.
27.
SUN Z., HOU Y.L. How does industrial intelligence reshape the employment structure of Chinese labor force. China Industrial Economics, 5, 61, 2019.
28.
WANG L., JIANG H., DONG Z. Will Industrial Intelligence Reshape the Geography of Companies. China Industrial Economics, 407 (2), 137, 2022.
29.
JIAN-QIANG B.A.O., YANG M., FENG C. Low Carbon Economy: Revolution in the Way of Human Economic Development. China Industrial Economy, (4), 153, 2008.
30.
LEVINSON A. Technology, International Trade, and Pollution from US Manufacturing. American Economic Review, 99 (5), 2177, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.99....
31.
BARON R.M., KENNY D.A. The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of personality and social psychology, 51 (6), 1173, 1986. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-....
32.
JUN Z., GUIYING W., JIPENG Z. The estimation of China's provincial capital stock: 1952-2000. Economic Research Journal, 10 (1), 35, 2004.
33.
BOWMAN J.P. The digital economy: promise and peril in the age of networked intelligence. Academy of Management Briarcliff Manor, 10, 69, 1996. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.19....
34.
TAO Z., ZHI Z., SHANGKUN L. Digital Economy, Entrepreneurship, and High Quality Economic Development: Empirical Evidence from Urban China. Frontiers of Economics in China, 17 (3), 2022.
35.
TANG S., WU X., ZHU J. Digital finance and enterprise technology innovation: Structural feature, mechanism identification and effect difference under financial supervision. Management World, 36 (5), 52, 2020.
36.
LIU J., YANG Y., ZHANG S. Research on the measurement and driving factors of China's digital economy. Shanghai Journal of Economic, 6, 81, 2020.
37.
GE H., WU F. Digital economy enables high-quality economic development: theoretical mechanisms and empirical evidence. Frontiers of Economics in China - Selected Publications from Chinese Universities, 17 (4), 643, 2022.
38.
GUO F., WANG J., WANG F., KONG T., ZHANG X., CHENG Z. Measuring China's digital financial inclusion: Index compilation and spatial characteristics. China Economic Quarterly, 19 (4), 1401, 2020.
39.
LIU C. The impact of digital economy on upgrading of industrial structure and entrepreneurial growth. Chinese Journal of Popular Science, 2, 112, 2022.
40.
LIN B., OMOJU O.E. Focusing on the right targets: Economic factors driving non-hydro renewable energy transition. Renewable Energy, 113, 52, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rene....
41.
WANG J., DU G. Spatial association network of green innovation in Chinese cities and its impact effect. China Population Resources and Environment, 31 (5), 21, 2021.
42.
LIN B., DU K. The energy effect of factor market distortion in China. Journal of Economic Research, 9, 125, 2013.
43.
SHI D., LI S. Emissions trading system and energy use efficiency – Measurements and empirical evidence for cities at and above the prefecture level. China Industrial Economics, 9, 5, 2020.
44.
HUANG Q., YU Y., ZHANG S. Internet development and productivity growth in manufacturing industry: Internal mechanism and China experiences. China Industrial Economics, 8, 5, 2019.
45.
ZHANG J.W., HU D.D., ZHOU L. Can the Digital Economy Alleviate Management Myopia? Empirical Evidence from Real Earnings Management. Economic Management, (1), 122, 2022.
46.
AUTY R. Sustaining development in mineral economies: the resource curse thesis. Routledge, 1, 2002. https://doi.org/10.4324/978020....
| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
