Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the coupling between digital economy and green total factor productivity and its influencing factors in China

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The synergy of the digital economy and green total factor productivity (TFP) is the foundation for achieving beneficial outcomes for both the economy and environment. This synergy is also the catalyst for high-quality development and sustainable economic growth in China. The study applied a modified Ellison-Glaeser (EG) index, super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) with a Malmquist-Luenberger (ML) index, coupling coordination degree, and other models to explore the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the coupling between the digital economy and green TFP from 2011 to 2020 and also analyzed the influencing factors of the coupling. The results show that the coupling between the digital economy and green TFP showed an overall upward trend from imbalance to synergy during the study period. The distribution of the synergistic coupling expanded from point-like to band-like, and there was a significant spreading pattern from the east to the center or west China. The number of cities in a transition state decreased significantly. Spatial jumps, a coupling linkage effect, and evolution in time were prominent. Additionally, the absolute difference among cities expanded. Although coupling in the west experienced the fastest growth rate, the coupling in the east and resource-based cities showed significant benefits. Coupling did not reach an ideal coordinated state, and a neutral interaction pattern remains to be formed. Industrial collaboration, industrial upgrading, government support, economic foundation, and spatial quality all positively impacted the coupling; technological innovation had a lagged effect; and environmental regulation has not reached its full potential. Further, the positive effects of government support and spatial quality performed better in the east and in non-resource-based cities. Due to the optimization of industrial structure, the coupling of the west and resource-based cities achieved better dividends; however, spatial quality needs further improvement. Therefore, the efficient coordination of China’s digital economy and green TFP requires a scientific, reasonable, localized, and distinctive approach.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  • An T, Yang C (2020) How the internet is reshaping China’s economic geography: micro mechanism and macro effects. Econ Res J 55(2):4–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali MA, Hoque MR, Alam K (2018) An empirical investigation of the relationship between e-government development and the digital economy: the case of Asian countries. J Knowl Manag 22(5):1176–1200

    Google Scholar 

  • Amuso V, Poletti G, Montibello D (2020) The digital economy: opportunities and challenges. Glob Policy 11:124–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdallah KB, Belloumi M, Wolf DD (2015) International comparisons of energy and environmental efficiency in the road transport sector. Energy 93:2087–2101

    Google Scholar 

  • Akbari M, Hopkins JL (2022) Digital technologies as enablers of supply chain sustainability in an emerging economy. Oper Manag Res 15:689–710

    Google Scholar 

  • Asongu SA, Roux SL, Biekpe N (2018) Enhancing ICT for environmental sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 127:209–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Barykin SY, Kapustina IV, Kirillova TV, Yadykin VK, Konnikov YA (2020) Economics of digital ecosystems. J Open Innov Technol Market Complex 6(4):124

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckerman W (1992) Economic growth and the environment: whose growth? Whose environment? World Dev 20(4):81–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Belitski M, Korosteleva J, Piscitello L (2021) Digital affordances and entrepreneurial dynamics: new evidence from European region. Technovation 119:102442

    Google Scholar 

  • Borel-Saladin JM, Turok IN (2013) The green economy: incremental change or transformation? Environ Policy Gov 23(4):209–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen R, Morris W (2019) The digital divide: implications for agribusiness and entrepreneurship. Lessons from Wales. J Rural Stud 72:75–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown D, Mcgranahan G (2016) The urban informal economy, local inclusion and achieving a global green transformation. Habitat Int 53:97–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai L, Wang P (2022) Digital economy and urban green total factor productivity: influencing mechanism and empirical evidence. Stat Decis 38(9):11–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai SY, Zheng ZY, Wang Y, Yu MJ (2023) The impact of green credits on high-quality energy development: evidence from China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30:57114–57128

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Liu Y, Zou M (2016) The improvement of city productivity based on synergy and co-agglomeration of industries: under the background of integrated innovation and conversion of driving force for economic development in China. J Zhejiang Univ (humanities and Social Sciences) 46(3):150–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Czuryk M (2019) Supporting the development of telecommunications services and networks through local and regional government bodies, and cybersecurity. Cybersecurity Law 2(2):39–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunlap A, Laratte L (2022) European green deal necropolitics: exploring ‘green’ energy transition, degrowth & infrastructural colonization. Polit Geogr 97:102640

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk M, Hagsten E (2021) Impact of high-speed broadband access on local establishment dynamics. Telecom Policy 45(4):102–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Fan Y, Xu H (2021) Can the development of China’s digital economy achieve economic greening? Empirical evidence from China’s inter-provincial panel data. Inquiry Econ Issues 9:15–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahmi FZ, Sari ID (2020) Rural transformation, digitalization and subjective wellbeing: a case study from Indonesia. Habitat Int 98:102–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Färe R, Grosskopf S, Pasurkan J (2001) Accounting for air pollution emissions in measures of state manufacturing productivity growth. J Reg Sci 41:381–409

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu LH (2010) An empirical research on industry structure and economic growth. Stat Res 27(8):79–81

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gai Z, Guo Y, Hao Y (2022) Can internet development help break the resource curse? Evid China Resour Policy 75:102519

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman GM, Krueger AB (1995) Economic growth and the environment. Nber Working Papers 110(2):353–377

  • Grybauskas A, Stefanini A, Ghobakhloo M (2022) Social sustainability in the age of digitalization: a systematic literature review on the social implications of industry 4.0. Technol Soc 70:101997

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo B, Wang Y, Zhang H (2022) Digital economy, green technology innovation and industrial structure upgrading: empirical evidence from 282 cities in China. Lanzhou Acad J 2:58–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Han J, Chen X (2022) The digital economy enables green development: the internal mechanism and empirical evidence. Comp Econ Soc Syst 2:73–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Han XF, Song WF, Li BX (2019) Can the internet become a new momentum to improve the efficiency of regional innovation in China. China Ind Econ 7:119–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Hao FX, Zhang SJ (2021) Transportation infrastructure, economic connection and aggregation of Yangtze River Delta: an analysis based on spatial perspective. Inquiry Econ Issues 464(3):80–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Higón DA, Gholami R, Shirazi F (2017) ICT and environmental sustainability: a global perspective. Telematics Inform 34(4):85–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacob P (2018) Information and communication technology in shaping urban low carbon development pathways. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 30:133–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang JH (2021) Sustainable digital era: high-quality integrated development of green economy and digital economy. Enterprise Economy 40(7): 23–30+161

  • Kim K, Gollamudi SS, Steinhubl S (2017) Digital technology to enable aging in place. Exp Gerontol 88:25–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovacikova M, Janoskova P, Kovacikova K (2021) The impact of emissions on the environment within the digital economy. Transp Res Procedia 55:1090–1097

    Google Scholar 

  • Lange S, Santarius T, Pohl J (2020) Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand? Ecol Econ 176:106760

    Google Scholar 

  • Lena D, Pasurka CA, Cucculelli M (2022) Environmental regulation and green productivity growth: evidence from Italian manufacturing industries. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 184:121993

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang RM, Meng YZ, Zhao Q (2020) Internal or external causes of technology progress: a study of the roles of market mechanism and government macro-control. Sci Res Manag 41(12):70–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin BQ, Tan RP (2019) Economic agglomeration and green economy efficiency in China. Econ Res J 54(2):119–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Litvinenko VS (2020) Digital economy as a factor in the technological development of the mineral sector. Nat Resour Res 29:1521–1541

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Q, Ma YR, Xu SX (2022) Has the development of digital economy improved the efficiency of China’s green economy? China Popul Resour Environ 32(3):72–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyu Y, Wang W, Wu Y, Zhang J (2023) How does digital economy affect green total factor productivity? Evidence from China. Sci Total Environ 857:159428

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma L, Jin FJ, Liu Y (2021) Spatial pattern and industrial sector structure analysis on the coupling and coordinating degree of regional economic development and environmental pollution in China. Acta Geogr Sin 67(10):1299–1307

    Google Scholar 

  • Murshed M, Chadni MH, Ferdaus J (2020) Does ICT trade facilitate renewable energy transition and environmental sustainability? Evidence from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives. Energy Ecol Environ 5:470–495

    Google Scholar 

  • Mustafa AU, Afzal H, Zahoor Z (2021) Green economy and its future. J Sustain Tour Entrepreneurship 2(2):119–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Myovella G, Karacuka M, Haucap J (2021) Determinants of digitalization and digital divide in Sub-Saharan African economies: a spatial Durbin analysis. Telecommunications Policy 45(10):102224

    Google Scholar 

  • Nizam HA, Zaman K, Khan KB et al (2020) Achieving environmental sustainability through information technology: “Digital Pakistan” initiative for green development. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:10011–10026

    Google Scholar 

  • Petrov AA (2019) Opportunities and directions for digital economy development in Russia and blocking factors of its development. Actual Problems Russian Law 3:45–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Philip L, Williams F (2019) Remote rural home-based businesses and digital inequalities: understanding needs and expectations in a digitally underserved community. J Rural Stud 68:306–318

    Google Scholar 

  • Pouri MJ, Hilty LM (2021) The digital sharing economy: a confluence of technical and social sharing. Environ Innov Soc Trans 38:127–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Rickard A, Wagner J, Schull J (2017) Observations on the technology and economics of digital emissions. Technol Soc 48:28–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Rusiawan W, Tjiptoherijanto P, Suganda E, Darmajanti L (2015) Assessment of green total factor productivity impact on sustainable Indonesia productivity growth. Procedia Environ Sci 28:493–501

    Google Scholar 

  • Rysina VN (2021) Digitalization of the economy and digital technologies. Manag Bus Admin 1:116–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Sareen S, Haarstad H (2021) Digitalization as a driver of transformative environmental innovation. Environ Innov Soc Trans 41:93–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Seferlis P, Varbanov PS, Papadopoulos AI, Chin HH, Kleme JJ (2021) Sustainable design, integration, and operation for energy high-performance process systems. Energy 224:120158

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shah W, Hao G, Yasmeen R, Kamal MA, Khan A, Padda I (2022) Unraveling the role of China’s OFDI, institutional difference and B&R policy on energy efficiency: a meta-frontier super-SBM approach. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29:56454–56472

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahbaz M, Wang J, Dong K, Zhao J (2022) The impact of digital economy on energy transition across the globe: the mediating role of government governance. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 166:112620

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen YH, Huang H (2020) Research on influence of digital economy level on industrial structure optimization and upgrading of manufacturing industry: based on panel data of Zhejiang Province from 2008 to 2017. Sci Technol Manag Res 40(3):147–154

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spence M (2021) Government and economics in the digital economy. J Govern Econ 3:100020

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturgeon TJ (2019) Upgrading strategies for the digital economy. Glob Strateg J 11:34–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun YY, Yang Z (2021) How national-level new areas promote regional economic growth: population scale expansion or development quality improvement. Inquiry Econ Issues 471(10):123–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Tao C, Li JX, Lai DY (2021) Public activity space quality evaluation and optimization strategy. Planners 37(21):75–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Truby J (2018) Decarbonizing bitcoin: law and policy choices for reducing the energy consumption of blockchain technologies and digital currencies. Energy Res Soc Sci 44:399–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Umar M, Ji X, Kirikkaleli D, Shahbaz M, Zhou X (2020) Environmental cost of natural resources utilization and economic growth: can China shift some burden through globalization for sustainable development? Sustain Dev 28(6):1678–1688

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Cui H, Zhao Q (2020) Effect of green technology innovation on green total factor productivity in China: evidence from spatial Durbin model analysis. J Clean Prod 288(1):125624

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang QR (2023) Digital economy development and green total factor productivity in urban agglomerations: mechanism of action and generalized nature. China Bus Market 1–14

  • Wang Y, Jin C, Lu MQ, Lu YQ (2017) Assessing the suitability of regional human settlements environment from a different preferences perspective: a case study of Zhejiang Province, China. Habitat Int 70:1–12

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe C, Tou Y, Neittaanmäki P (2018) A new paradox of the digital economy: Structural sources of the limitation of GDP statistics. Technol Soc 55:9–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei HK, Nian M, Li L (2020) China’s regional development strategy and policy during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. China Ind Econ 386(5):5–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams LD (2021) Concepts of digital economy and industry 4.0 in intelligent and information systems. Int J Intell Netw 2:122–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu KD, Yan SP (2021) Digital technology development and innovation efficiency improvement in China. Enterprise Econ 40(7):52–62

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu WX, Zhou JP, Liu CJ (2022) The impact of digital economy on urban carbon emissions: based on the analysis of spatial effects. Geogr Res 41(1):111–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu H, Zhu Q (2022) Impact and mechanism of digital economy on China’s carbon emissions: from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30:9642–9657

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu MG, Fan R, Zhong HJ (2016) Chinese industrial policy and corporate technological innovation. China Ind Econ 345(12):5–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y (2022) Spatial effect of urban digital economy on green total factor productivity: theoretical mechanism and empirical test. Reform Econ Syst 235(4):43–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YH, Wang MF, Cui LM, Kuang AP (2022) Impact of the digital economy on green total factor productivity in Chinese cities. Econ Geogr 42(9):33–42

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao S, Peng D, Wen H, Wu Y (2022) Nonlinear and spatial spillover effects of the digital economy on green total factor energy efficiency: evidence from 281 cities in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22694-6

  • Zhao T, Zhang Z, Liang SK (2020) Digital economy, entrepreneurship, and high-quality economic development: empirical evidence from urban China. J Manag World 36(10):65–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng XY, Chen JY, Su YK (2021) Research on green economics and digital economic synergy: empirical analysis based on correction coupling model. Price: Theory Pract 8:164–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng ZY, Zhu YM, Qiu FD, Wang LT (2022) Coupling relationship among technological innovation, industrial transformation and environmental efficiency: a case study of the Huaihai Economic zone, China. Chin Geogra Sci 32:686–706

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou D, Zhong Z, Chen L, Gao W, Wang M (2022) Can the joint regional air pollution control policy achieve a win-win outcome for the environment and economy? Evidence from China. Econ Anal Policy 74:13–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou QX, He AP (2020) High quality development of the Yellow River Basin empowered by digital economy. Econ Problems 11:8–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu BS (2020) Research on the impact of environmental regulation on the quality of local economic growth. Southeast University, Nanjing, pp 26–39

  • Zhu XA, Ma YG (2022) Research on the impact of digital economy on green total factor productivity. Econ Problems 519(11):1–11

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China [20BJL106], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [41901205], Cultural Experts and Four Batches Talents Independently Selected Topic Project [ZXGZ[2018]86], and Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province [KYCX21_0357].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China

    Ziyan Zheng, Yingming Zhu, Yi Wang, Yaru Yang & Zijun Fang

  2. Jiangsu Industrial Cluster Decision-Making Consulting Research Base, Nanjing University of Science and Technology), Nanjing, 210094, China

    Ziyan Zheng, Yingming Zhu, Yi Wang, Yaru Yang & Zijun Fang

Authors
  1. Ziyan Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yingming Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yi Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yaru Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zijun Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Ziyan Zheng: conceptualization, methodology, writing—original draft. Yingming Zhu: reviewing and supervision. Yi Wang: conceptualization, writing—reviewing, editing. Yaru Yang and Zijun Zhang: data curation.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Wang.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval

This research project has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Science and Technology.

Consent to participate

Written informed consent for publication was obtained from all the authors.

Consent for publication

The authors confirm that the publication has been approved by all the co-authors. Its publication has been approved (acquiesced or publicly approved) by the responsible authority of the institution where it works. The author agrees to publish in the following journals and agrees to publish articles in the corresponding English journals of Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Eyup Dogan

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zheng, Z., Zhu, Y., Wang, Y. et al. Spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the coupling between digital economy and green total factor productivity and its influencing factors in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 82326–82340 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28155-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28155-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation