Digital Inclusive Finance and Carbon Emission Efficiency: Evidence from China’s Economic Zones

Wei Jia, Zhihao Wang and Lei Liu ()
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Wei Jia: School of Political Science and Public Administration, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Zhihao Wang: School of Political Science and Public Administration, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Lei Liu: School of Economics and Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116081, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: In the current tide of technological revolution and industrial transformation, digitalization and greening have surfaced as two prominent trends, serving as the inherent requisites and impelling forces of new productive forces. Augmenting carbon emission efficiency is a crucial pathway for attaining green development. Digital inclusive finance, as an innovative financial paradigm, is a significant determinant influencing carbon emission efficiency and the progression of green development. By harnessing panel data from 108 cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt spanning from 2011 to 2021, this study deploys the super-efficiency SBM model to gauge carbon emission efficiency. Additionally, it employs fixed effects and mediating mechanism models to empirically scrutinize the impact of digital inclusive finance on carbon emission efficiency within urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The study further probes its spatial effects through a spatial Durbin model. The research findings disclose that digital inclusive finance can substantially augment carbon emission efficiency in regional cities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, manifesting notable regional correlations. This enhancement is accomplished by propelling industrial structure upgrades and augmenting scientific and technological capabilities. To enhance carbon emission efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, efforts should be centered around advancing digital inclusive finance, expediting industrial structural transformation, and fortifying scientific and technological development.

Keywords: new productive forces; digital inclusive finance; carbon emission efficiency; green development; spatial correlation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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