The emerging driving force of inclusive green growth in Chinese cities: the role of digital intelligence

Jingpeng Chen, Huirong Sun, Ranqi Han and Zigong Cai

Applied Economics, 2026, vol. 58, issue 33, 6701-6718

Abstract: Inclusive green growth (IGG) seeks to achieve balanced social, economic, and ecological development through equitable resource distribution. Digital intelligence offers novel methodological frameworks to advance IGG in urban contexts. However, the relationship linking digital intelligence to IGG remains under-explored in existing literature. Using panel data from 281 Chinese cities (2005–2021), our paper empirically examines the impact of digital intelligence on IGG. Results indicate that digital intelligence enhances cities’ IGG. This conclusion remains robust after a series of robustness tests. We find that digital intelligence promotes urban IGG through green innovation, industrial restructuring, and financial inclusion. Moreover, taking the ‘smart cities’ pilot policy as the starting point, a spatial difference-in-differences (SDID) model was used to analyse the policy effect. The results suggest that this policy not only enhances local IGG but also generates significant spillover effects on neighbouring cities. Our study offers novel empirical insights into the role of digital intelligence in advancing urban IGG.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2025.2523020

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