The potential nexus between fintech and energy consumption: A new perspective on natural resource consumption

Yi Zhu, Yangyi Lin, Yanyu Tan, Bin Liu and Hao Wang

Resources Policy, 2024, vol. 89, issue C

Abstract: In fintech innovation, conventional financial service limits are exceeded, contributing to regional sustainable development by reducing strain on resources. It is crucial in mitigating the demand for natural resources (e.g., fossil energy consumption), essential for achieving regional sustainability. To investigate this, we examine how fintech influenced fossil energy consumption in 272 cities between 2006 and 2019, using fixed and threshold regression models. The findings underscore that fintech exerts a significant influence in escalating fossil energy consumption and augmenting energy intensity. Notably, the impact of fintech on fossil energy consumption witnesses a distinct hierarchical pattern, with prevalence in the eastern regions surpassing that of the central and western counterparts, and the impact of fintech on energy intensity is more prominent in western China. Fintech stimulates fossil energy consumption in the high-level fintech group while exhibiting insignificance concerning energy intensity in the low-level fintech group. A heightened degree of marketization can moderate fintech's impact on energy consumption and curbing energy intensity. Notably, a threshold in fintech development emerges at 3.466, where lower levels inhibit energy consumption, while levels exceeding 3.466 demonstrate a stimulative effect on energy consumption. The industrial structure is moderating in the nexus between fintech and urban fossil energy consumption, showcasing a threshold value of 0.268. When the industrial structure's developmental level is below this threshold, fintech promotes fossil energy consumption. while levels exceed 0.268 in industrial structure development, fintech facilitates energy conservation by restructuring industries. These findings offer relevant policy recommendations. Our findings can help alleviate resource consumption pressure through fintech and further informing the green and low-carbon transition of cities.

Keywords: Fintech; Fossil energy consumption; Energy intensity; Natural resource consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:89:y:2024:i:c:s0301420723013004

DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.104589

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