Effects of the digital economy on carbon emissions in China: an analysis based on different innovation paths

As the digital economy grows rapidly around the world, how would it impact carbon emissions? This paper discusses this issue from the perspective of heterogeneous innovation. Based on the panel data of 284 cities in China from 2011 to 2020, this paper empirically examines the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions as well as the mediating and threshold effects of different innovation modes. The study finds that the digital economy can significantly reduce carbon emissions; this conclusion holds after a series of robustness tests. Independent innovation and imitative innovation are important channels through which the digital economy affects carbon emissions, but technological introduction is not an effective way. For regions with high levels of financial investment in science and innovative talents, the reduction in carbon emissions from the digital economy is more significant. Further research shows that the effect of the digital economy on carbon emissions has a threshold feature, with an inverted U-shaped relationship between the two, and that an increase in autonomous innovation and imitation innovation can enhance the digital economy's carbon reduction effect. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the capacity of independent innovation and imitation innovation to exploit the carbon-cutting effect of the digital economy.

Impact of global value chain and technological innovation on China's industrial greenhouse gas emissions and trend prediction

The global value chain has introduced profound changes in international trade, economic development, and technology progress as well as greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. This paper investigated the impact of the global value chain and technological innovation on greenhouse gas emissions by introducing a partially linear functional-coefficient model based on panel data of 15 industrial sectors in China from 2000 to 2020. Moreover, the greenhouse gas emission trends of China's industrial sectors from 2024 to 2035 were predicted using the autoregressive integrated moving average model. The results showed that (1) Greenhouse gas emissions were affected negatively by global value chain position and independent innovation. Nevertheless, foreign innovation had the opposite effect. (2) The results of the partially linear functional-coefficient model implied that the inhibitory effect of independent innovation on GHG emissions decreased with an improvement in the global value chain position. (3) The positive effect of foreign innovation on greenhouse gas emissions increased and then, decreased as the global value chain position improved. (4) The prediction results indicated that greenhouse gas emissions will continue on an upward trend from 2024 to 2035, while industrial carbon dioxide emissions should peak at 10.21 Gt in 2028. This carbon-peaking goal would be achieved in China's industrial sector by actively improving the global value chain position. Addressing these issues will enable China to take full advantage of the development opportunities of participating in the global value chain.

Technological innovation, resource endowment, and green total factor energy efficiency

Technological advancements and resources availability are the main components of green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE). This study measured GTFEE using the Meta-frontier and Non-radial Directional Distance Function (MNDDF) models and empirically evaluated the effect of technological innovation and resource endowment on GTFEE using dynamic panel and panel threshold models. The following are the primary findings: (1) Throughout the study sample period, the average change trend of China's GTFEE was generally in the shape of a "W," with regional variations. (2) Independent innovation can significantly improve GTFEE, whereas technology introduction has little effect on GTFEE advancement. Similarly, it confirmed the existence of the "Resource Curse." (3) While independent innovation has reduced the severity of the resource curse to a certain extent, the introduction of this technology has no positive effect on the resource curse problem. (4) Heterogeneity research indicates that only large cities' independent innovation has significantly increased GTFEE. There is a particular resource curse phenomenon regardless of the city size, but it is more prominent in small and medium-sized cities. (5) At various phases of economic development, a significant difference was noticed in the impact of independent innovation, technology introduction, and resource endowment on GTFEE.

Technology imports, independent innovation, and China's green economic efficiency: an analysis based on spatial and mediating effect

Environmental quality and economic growth are important factors that need to be balanced for sustainable development, especially in developing countries where technology is relatively backward. Many studies have shown that technology imports may be beneficial to economic growth, but once the resources and environment are taken into consideration, the role of technology imports becomes blurred. Based on provincial panel data of China from 2004 to 2019, this paper investigates the influence mechanism of domestic and foreign technology imports on the green economic efficiency (GEE) of 30 provinces in China. There are two main conclusions: First, GEE is spatially related and the impact of technology imports on GEE has a significant spillover effect. Besides, the relationship between technology imports and GEE is non-linear, both in terms of direct and indirect effects. Second, independent innovation plays an important role in the influence mechanism of technology imports on GEE. As the level of independent innovation increased, the impact of technology imports on GEE turns from negative to positive, and it is strengthened through the channel of "transfer-absorption-diffusion-re-innovation." In this regard, some measures should be taken to enhance the role of technology imports in improving GEE.