Digital Economy, Clean Energy Consumption, and High-Quality Economic Development: The Case of China

Zhong Ren and Jie Zhang ()
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Zhong Ren: College of Economics, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Jie Zhang: College of Economics, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-24

Abstract: The digital economy has become an important force driving China’s socio-economic development. From the perspective of sustainable energy development and based on China’s provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020, this paper probes into the relationship and transmission mechanism of digital economy, clean energy consumption, and high-quality economic development and utilizes the spatial Durbin model and intermediary effect model to carry out empirical tests on the paths of their influence. The results indicate that (1) the digital economy has a significant promoting effect and a positive spatial spillover effect on high-quality economic development, and its influence has obvious spatial heterogeneity; (2) the intermediary effect model validates that clean energy consumption is a mediating variable of digital economy and high-quality economy development, and its conduction effect also has obvious spatial heterogeneity. The research conclusions provide a new perspective and empirical evidence for understanding the relationship between digital economy and high-quality economic development as well as policy implications for the realization of digital transformation and low-carbon development goals.

Keywords: digital economy; high-quality economic development; clean energy consumption; spatial Durbin model; intermediary effect model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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