Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprises

Based on pollution emission data and digital product import data of Chinese industrial enterprises from 2000 to 2013, this paper takes enterprise digital imported products as a natural experiment to build a model of multiple phase difference in difference (DID) to investigate the pollution reduction...

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Main Authors: Guangqin Li, Yuping Jin, Xin Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-12-01
Series:Energy Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484722025562
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author Guangqin Li
Yuping Jin
Xin Gao
author_facet Guangqin Li
Yuping Jin
Xin Gao
author_sort Guangqin Li
collection DOAJ
description Based on pollution emission data and digital product import data of Chinese industrial enterprises from 2000 to 2013, this paper takes enterprise digital imported products as a natural experiment to build a model of multiple phase difference in difference (DID) to investigate the pollution reduction effect of enterprise digital transformation. The research results show that the digital transformation of enterprises can significantly reduce their pollution emissions. The strong persuasive and robustness of the model results are verified by substituting variables, eliminating interference value, excluding other factors, time lag effect and factor sensitivity analysis. When the overall digital transformation level of non-polluting enterprises in the city where polluting enterprises are located is used as an instrumental variable to deal with the potential endogeneity problem, the results still hold. Due to the relatively high level of environmental regulation in the eastern region, the central and western regions undertake low-end manufacturing industries and have limited economic development. So, the environmental governance effect of enterprises in the eastern region is more significant than that in the central and western regions. The strong agglomeration in coastal areas makes the emission reduction effect more significant. The environmental governance effect of enterprise digitization is mainly reflected in foreign capital, collective and large and medium-sized enterprises. Enterprise digitization and technological innovation jointly promote the pollution reduction of enterprises, and enterprise digitization transformation only has the “end treatment” effect.
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spelling doaj.art-f2640e303171443f940b54f933b9ef602023-07-13T05:28:32ZengElsevierEnergy Reports2352-48472023-12-019552567Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprisesGuangqin Li0Yuping Jin1Xin Gao2School of International Trade & Economics, Anhui University of Finance & Economics, Bengbu, Anhui, ChinaSchool of International Trade & Economics, Anhui University of Finance & Economics, Bengbu, Anhui, ChinaCorresponding author.; School of International Trade & Economics, Anhui University of Finance & Economics, Bengbu, Anhui, ChinaBased on pollution emission data and digital product import data of Chinese industrial enterprises from 2000 to 2013, this paper takes enterprise digital imported products as a natural experiment to build a model of multiple phase difference in difference (DID) to investigate the pollution reduction effect of enterprise digital transformation. The research results show that the digital transformation of enterprises can significantly reduce their pollution emissions. The strong persuasive and robustness of the model results are verified by substituting variables, eliminating interference value, excluding other factors, time lag effect and factor sensitivity analysis. When the overall digital transformation level of non-polluting enterprises in the city where polluting enterprises are located is used as an instrumental variable to deal with the potential endogeneity problem, the results still hold. Due to the relatively high level of environmental regulation in the eastern region, the central and western regions undertake low-end manufacturing industries and have limited economic development. So, the environmental governance effect of enterprises in the eastern region is more significant than that in the central and western regions. The strong agglomeration in coastal areas makes the emission reduction effect more significant. The environmental governance effect of enterprise digitization is mainly reflected in foreign capital, collective and large and medium-sized enterprises. Enterprise digitization and technological innovation jointly promote the pollution reduction of enterprises, and enterprise digitization transformation only has the “end treatment” effect.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484722025562Digital transformationEnterprise pollution emissionTechnological innovationDifference in difference
spellingShingle Guangqin Li
Yuping Jin
Xin Gao
Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprises
Energy Reports
Digital transformation
Enterprise pollution emission
Technological innovation
Difference in difference
title Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprises
title_full Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprises
title_fullStr Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprises
title_full_unstemmed Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprises
title_short Digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises: Evidence from China’s micro-enterprises
title_sort digital transformation and pollution emission of enterprises evidence from china s micro enterprises
topic Digital transformation
Enterprise pollution emission
Technological innovation
Difference in difference
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484722025562
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AT yupingjin digitaltransformationandpollutionemissionofenterprisesevidencefromchinasmicroenterprises
AT xingao digitaltransformationandpollutionemissionofenterprisesevidencefromchinasmicroenterprises