Harnessing the Digital Economy for Sustainable Energy Efficiency: An Empirical Analysis of China’s Yangtze River Delta

Liu Fengqin (), Kumar Jai (), Sun Huaping () and Edziah Bless Kofi ()
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Liu Fengqin: School of Law, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
Kumar Jai: School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
Sun Huaping: School of Economics and Management, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
Edziah Bless Kofi: College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, 2025, vol. 19, issue 1, 15

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of the digital economy on energy efficiency through a combination of theoretical analysis and empirical testing. The research contributes by categorizing the energy value creation process into two stages: the energy input stage and the energy operation stage and by examining both the direct and indirect effects of the digital economy on energy efficiency. Indirect effects are explored through factors such as industrial structure, green innovation, transaction efficiency, and environmental regulation. Using panel data from 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, covering the period from 2006 to 2020, the study empirically examines the effects of the digital economy on energy efficiency. The findings emphasize the significant role of the digital economy in enhancing energy efficiency, particularly through upgrading industrial structures, increasing transaction efficiency, and stimulating green innovation. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that the influence of the digital economy on energy efficiency is less pronounced in resource-based cities than in non-resource-based cities. Based on these findings, the study provides targeted policy recommendations to further leverage the digital economy for improving energy efficiency.

Keywords: digital economy; energy efficiency; green innovation; Yangtze River Delta; industrial structure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bpj:econoa:v:19:y:2025:i:1:p:15:n:1001

DOI: 10.1515/econ-2025-0136

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