The data as a production factor: nonlinear effects of factor efficiency on haze pollution

Mei-Rui Zhong, Jia-Yu Fu and Han Zou ()
Additional contact information
Mei-Rui Zhong: Central South University
Jia-Yu Fu: Central South University
Han Zou: Central South University

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2025, vol. 27, issue 4, No 28, 8977-9002

Abstract: Abstract Data factor is impacting existing production mode and empowering traditional production factors. This article considers data as an independent factor to calculate data efficiency and energy efficiency by a slacks-based measure model. Then, the spatial Durbin model is used to assess the nonlinear effects of factor efficiency on haze pollution in 278 Chinese cities during 2012–2019. The measurement results showed that annual average data and energy efficiencies are 0.7747 and 0.7920, respectively. The benchmark regression confirmed a significant U-shaped relationship between energy efficiency and haze pollution in both local and neighbouring regions, and inverted U-shaped relationship existed between data efficiency and haze pollution, but the spatial spillover effect manifested as a U-shaped relationship. The mechanism test suggested that pollution control effect of data efficiency is achieved by green technological innovation and industrial structure upgrade. Besides, the heterogeneity analysis showed that the “Smart City” policy benefits social production for higher data and energy efficiency, which magnified the role in controlling haze pollution. Over 60% samples in current data efficiency cross the inflection point of inverted U-shaped curve to inhibit haze pollution, and this article provided important guidance for regional environmental construction by developing data factor.

Keywords: Data factor; Haze pollution; Factor efficiency; Nonlinear effect; Green technological innovation; Industrial structure upgrade (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-023-04264-z Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:endesu:v:27:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-023-04264-z

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/10668

DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-04264-z

Access Statistics for this article

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development is currently edited by Luc Hens

More articles in Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().