Digital Economy, Environmental Regulation and Corporate Green Technology Innovation: Evidence from China

Chenggang Wang; Tiansen Liu; Yue Zhu; Meng Lin; Wenhao Chang; Xinyu Wang; Dongrong Li; He Wang; Jinsol Yoo

doi:10.3390/ijerph192114084

Digital Economy, Environmental Regulation and Corporate Green Technology Innovation: Evidence from China

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 28;19(21):14084. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192114084.

Authors

Chenggang Wang¹, Tiansen Liu², Yue Zhu¹, Meng Lin¹, Wenhao Chang³, Xinyu Wang⁴, Dongrong Li¹, He Wang¹, Jinsol Yoo¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Economics and Business Administration, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China.
² School of Economics and Management, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China.
³ School of Management, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9XW, UK.
⁴ Social Science Department, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China.

Abstract

Background: As human beings enter the digital age, the impact of the digital economy on environmental regulation and corporate green technology innovation (CGTI) is expanding. In order to effectively strengthen the efficacy of environmental regulation and improve the green technology innovation ability of corporate, this paper conducts in-depth research on the influence process of the digital economy and environmental regulation on the CGTI. Methods: Based on the mediating variable environmental regulation, this paper explores the influence process of the digital economy on CGTI. Combined with empirical analysis methods such as the fixed-effect model, mediating effect model, spatial model and regression analysis, the authors reveal the influence process of the digital economy on CGTI. Results: The digital economy can directly promote the improvement of the green technology innovation level of CGTI. The digital economy can indirectly affect the CGTI through the mediating variable of environmental regulation, marginal effect and spatial spillover effect. Conclusions: The digital economy and CGTI had a significant spatial correlation among different regions in China. In different regions of China, there are significant differences in the relationship between the digital economy, environmental regulation and CGTI.

Keywords: digital economy; environmental regulation; green technology innovation; mediation effect; nonlinear effect.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China
Economic Development*
Humans
Inventions*

Grants and funding

This article was funded by the Fundamental Scientific Research Business Expenses Project of Provincial Colleges and Universities in Heilongjiang Province (No. 2021-KYYWF-0102); Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (No. LH2021G005); College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project of Heilongjiang Province (No. S202210212070).