Does the digital economy promote or inhibit income inequality?

Digitalisation and technological developments are profoundly changing the socioeconomic structure of society and people's lifestyles, which may have a significant impact on the distribution of income among different groups of people. This study conducted a quantitative investigation into the impact of the digital economy on income inequality based on the skill bias theory. First, empirical model analysis showed that digital economy has a linear dampening effect on income inequality and that there is no non-linear relationship. Then, the study analyzed the mechanisms underlying this relationship, which revealed that mining and remittances suppress income inequality in the presence of digital economy, while government spending promotes income inequality. Finally, heterogeneity analysis indicated that the suppressive impact of digital economy on income inequality in capitalist countries is stronger than in ex-communist countries. These findings will not only help to achieve social equity, but also provide a strategic direction for economic development to make the dividends of the digital economy more inclusive.

Evaluation of the value of Internet platform Enterprises in the digital economy by the big data cooperation asset valuation model.

With the innovation of information technology, the national industry has been adjusted and upgraded, and the development of the Internet industry has had a huge impact on economic development. The investment and financing of network enterprises and the merger and acquisition of network companies need to evaluate the value of network companies. In this regard, this paper evaluated the value of Internet platform enterprises under the digital economy based on the Big Data (BD) cooperation asset valuation model. This paper analyzed the factors affecting the value evaluation of Internet enterprises and discussed the advantages of BD cooperative asset valuation model in the value evaluation of Internet enterprises in the digital economy. The BD cooperation asset valuation model was constructed, and the value evaluation experiment of Internet platform enterprises under the digital economy was carried out. The experimental results of this paper showed that in the evaluation of the profitability value of Internet enterprises, the difference between the net sales interest rate was 0.14%-0.51 %. The difference between the net interest rate of equity was 0.09%-0.67 %, and the difference between the net interest rate of total assets was 0.19%-0.92 %; in terms of the evaluation of the operating capacity of Internet enterprises, the difference between the current asset turnover rate was 0.05-0.16. The difference of non-current asset turnover rate was 0.02-0.15, and the difference of total asset turnover rate was 0.01-0.16. The evaluation value based on the BD cooperation asset valuation model was not different from the actual enterprise value, which showed that the BD cooperation asset valuation model had good advantages in the evaluation of the value of Internet enterprises.

A simultaneous impact of digital economy, environment technology, business activity on environment and economic growth in G7: Moderating role of institutions.

This study investigates the simultaneous influence of the digital economy, environmental technologies, business activity, and institutional quality on both the environment and economic growth in G7 economies from 1996 to 2020. The study provides an in-depth analysis to investigate the influence of institutional quality, particularly the regulatory environment, on business activity. Employing a rigorous methodology encompassing correlation analysis, long-term examination using Driscoll and regression estimators, and the utilization of various digital economy indicators such as internet usage and cell subscriptions, we uncover significant insights. The findings underscore the substantial impact of digital economies in mitigating carbon emissions and driving economic growth at an accelerated rate. Moreover, the study reveals that certain regulatory constraints on corporate operations can paradoxically facilitate carbon emission management while also fostering economic expansion. The study validates the presence of an inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in G7 economies. This suggests that there is a specific point at which economic activities start to contribute more to carbon emissions. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of achieving a balance between economic growth driven by foreign direct investment and the goals of environmental sustainability. Environmental technology is becoming increasingly important in the regulation of emissions. Significantly, the study highlights the need to enhance the quality of implementing institutional regulations. It suggests that G7 economies can improve both environmental quality and economic growth by adopting superior regulatory methods. These findings are relevant for governments seeking economic growth and environmental protection. They suggest the need for specific policy actions to accomplish sustainable development goals.

How the digital economy is empowering green strategies for breaking carbon lock-in.

In the era of climate change and carbon neutrality, China is actively coping with its carbon lock-in dilemma. In this context, the development of the digital economy is considered a possible path to carbon unlocking. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of how the digital economy can be leveraged to address carbon lock-in, highlighting the importance of formal environmental regulation and informal environmental regulation in enhancing this effect. Accordingly, following findings are highlighted. (1) Our primary findings provide strong evidence on the negative effect of the digital economy on carbon lock-in; by implication, improving the digital economy is an efficient measure for eradicating carbon lock-in. (2) The digital economy shows the greatest marginal impact on industrial lock-in, while its inhibiting effect on behavior lock-in is the least pronounced. Moreover, the digital economy plays a prominent role in curbing carbon lock-in in provinces with a higher level of physical, human, and social capital. And the asymmetric impacts of the digital economy on carbon lock-in are significant at most quantiles. (3) Environmental regulation is a significant moderator. Put differently, the synergy of formal environmental regulation and the digital economy, as well as informal environmental regulation and the digital economy, are important means to break carbon lock-in. (4) The carbon lock-in mitigation effect of the digital economy is caused mainly by increasing technical market turnover and the efficiency of energy consumption.

Impact of the digital economy on carbon dioxide emissions in resource-based cities.

With the rapid development of the digital economy, its environmental impact, particularly on carbon dioxide emissions in resource-based cities, has emerged as a vital research topic. Resource-based cities, often central to traditional industries, are confronted with the dual challenges of environmental pollution and economic transformation. This study employs empirical analysis to examine the influence of the digital economy on carbon dioxide emissions in these cities. The findings reveal that the digital economy significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions, with this impact being more pronounced in the early stages of digital economic development and gradually diminishing thereafter. In the mechanism analysis, we found that the digital economy can reduce carbon dioxide emissions in resource-based cities by raising public concern about the environment. Moreover, the study highlights significant variations in carbon reduction effects among different types of resource-based cities, noting that stronger environmental regulations further enhance these effects. These insights not only provide a new theoretical perspective but also offer practical guidance for policymakers in promoting sustainable development within the digital economy.

The impact of digital economy development on coal consumption: Evidence from Chinese provinces.

This study investigates the impact of the development of the digital economy (DE) on coal consumption and the underlying mechanisms using Chinese provincial data over the period 2011-2022. The results demonstrate that DE development is correlated with reduced coal consumption. When the DE development increases by one standard deviation, the reduction in coal consumption is 0.1938. The underlying mechanism is attributed to the DE facilitating the financial technology development and technological innovation's quality, which are conducive to reducing coal consumption.

Digital economy and fiscal decentralization: Drivers of green innovation in China.

The impact of government behavior under a fiscal decentralization system on the interplay between the digital economy and both the quality and efficiency of green innovation poses an intriguing question. To address this, the present study employs two-way fixed-effects models, instrumental variables, and spatial econometric techniques, using data from 30 provinces and cities in China spanning 2004 to 2019. The findings reveal that the advancement of the digital economy significantly enhances the quality and efficiency of green innovation. In the context of China's fiscal decentralization, local governments frequently employ a "race to the top" strategy, amplifying the digital economy's beneficial impact on green innovation. This effect is particularly pronounced in economically prosperous regions that prioritize environmental assessments. Additionally, the study identifies a spatial demonstration effect, indicating that fiscal decentralization bolsters the digital economy's influence in adjacent regions. Consequently, policy recommendations include deepening the digital economy, advocating for increased fiscal autonomy for local governments, refining the performance appraisal systems for local officials, and establishing a well-calibrated environmental transfer mechanism. Further, leveraging the positive spatial correlations among local governments can foster a competitive yet collaborative landscape for green innovation.

Does the digital economy improve comprehensive total factor productivity in China?

Total factor productivity is an important symbol of high-quality economic development. At present, the question of whether the digital economy can infuse fresh impetus into enhancing total factor productivity has emerged as a prominent concern in China. This paper constructs a new undesirable output to measure comprehensive total factor productivity (CTFP) with the slack-based measure (SBM) undesirable Malmquist-Luenberger index by using 2011-2020 Chinese provincial panel data. Then, this paper explores the impact of the digital economy (DIG) on CTFP with a fixed effects (FE) panel model and a mediating effect model. The results show that CTFP increases by an average of 3.9%, technical efficiency contributes -1.1%, and the contribution rate of technological progress is 5.0%. Technological progress is the main source of CTFP growth. The empirical findings show that the DIG has a positive and significant impact on CTFP. This paper conducts various robustness tests, and the results remain consistent with the previous conclusion. Moreover, mechanism tests suggest that the promoting effect of the DIG on CTFP can be attributed to three main effects: technological innovation, the factor endowment structure and the educational level. Furthermore, the results of heterogeneity analysis demonstrate that the promoting effect of the DIG on CTFP exists in China's eastern, central and western regions. The findings of this research can serve as a valuable reference for informing decision-making processes related to environmental governance and high-quality economic development in China.

Does the digital economy improve female employment? A cross-country panel data analysis.

The digital economy has had an impact on the female employment rate over time. Currently, the researchers are more interested in investigating the impacts of the digital economy by focusing on its various aspects of female employment. The current study is motivated by this renewed interest to investigate the impact of the digital economy on female employment rates in Asian Developing Countries from 1990 to 2021. The digital economy is measured by several indicators such as fixed telephone subscriptions, fixed broadband subscriptions, mobile phone subscriptions, secure internet servers, and internet users. The Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PARDL) model is used for analysis that reveals a positive relationship between female employment rates and the digital economy in both the short and long run. The control variables/factors, Education and GDP, also showed positive relationships with female employment. We suggest that governments prioritize funding for digital infrastructure and encourage fair access to technology, especially for women, based on our study. Furthermore, the positive effects of the digital economy on female employment can be strengthened through focused policy interventions, such as offering financial incentives to companies that hire and train women in digital skills. By utilizing these tactics, policymakers can guarantee that women are prepared to take advantage of the chances brought about by the quickly changing digital landscape, promoting gender equality and inclusive economic growth throughout Asian developing nations.

Does digital economy keep enterprises out of green innovation trouble? evidence from "double carbon" goal.

The proposal of the "dual carbon" targets has provided direction for promoting China's economic green transformation and green innovation. As enterprises are important entities driving technological innovation in China, enhancing their green innovation capabilities holds significant practical significance for reducing carbon emissions. While the flourishing development of the digital economy currently provides new avenues and impetus for enterprise green innovation, research on the micro-level effects of green innovation driven by digital economy is still lacking. Therefore, based on data from Chinese cities spanning 2010 to 2021 and micro-level data of listed enterprises, this paper employs fixed effect model and intermediary effect model to empirically test the effect and mechanism of urban digital economy development on the quality and quantity of enterprise green innovation. Additionally, it investigates the carbon emission reduction effect resulting from digital economy development. The findings are as follows: (1) The development of digital economy exhibits a significant green innovation effect, effectively enhancing both the "quality and quantity" of enterprise green innovation. Particularly noteworthy is its impact on the quality of green innovation in enterprises, a result corroborated by several robustness tests. (2) Promoting regional knowledge spillover and alleviating enterprise financing constraints emerge as mechanisms through which the digital economy enhances the "quality and quantity" of enterprise green innovation. (3) Heterogeneity testing reveals that the digital economy exerts a greater green innovation effect on enterprises located in regions characterized by higher environmental regulations, high-tech industries, and state-owned enterprises. (4) Further analysis demonstrates that the digital economy effectively reduces enterprises carbon emissions and enhances their carbon performance by driving green innovation, thus providing endogenous impetus for achieving the "dual carbon" goals. By examining the effects and mechanisms of green innovation driven by digital economy from the perspectives of promoting knowledge spillover and alleviating financing constraints, this study enriches theoretical research on the relationship between the digital economy and green innovation at the enterprise micro-level. It offers new insights for governments in formulating green innovation policies and serves as a reference for green innovation decision-making in other developing countries.

The impact of digital economy development on public health: evidence from Chinese cities.

Introduction: The swift advancement of the digital economy not only plays a crucial role in stimulating a country's economic growth but also exerts a significant influence on national health and well-being. Methods: Adopts the data of 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2022, and employs the panel data fixed-effects model, spatial Durbin model, and mediated effects model to study the impact of digital economic development on the level of urban public health. Results: It is found that digital economic development significantly improves the level of urban public health, and the effect has a spatial spillover effect. The impact of digital economic development on urban public health is mainly concentrated in cities with higher levels of economic development, higher levels of digital economic development, and lower levels of urban public health. Among them, technological innovation and information dissemination are the main dissemination channels through which digital economic development affects the level of urban public health. Discussion: The advancement of the digital economy significantly impacts urban public health. It is advisable to bolster policies guiding digital economy development, enhance cross-sector collaboration between the digital economy and public health, reinforce public health education and awareness campaigns, improve the digital health literacy of the population, continue to enhance the fairness and accessibility of basic medical services, and address and bridge the "digital divide" between regions, as well as urban and rural areas.

Decarbonizing progress: Exploring the nexus of renewable energy, digital economy, and economic development in South American countries.

Examining the relationship between green energy, the digital economy, and economic advancement in eighteen South American nations, the study used the Principal Component Factor (PCF) approach. A Green Energy Transition Index (GETI) and a Digital Economy Index (DEI) were developed as a consequence of this study. Confirmation of the large influence of switching to green energy on economic development and environmental sustainability is provided by the research's use of Fixed Effect Panel Threshold Regression (FEPTR) analysis. In today's global industrial value chain, hydrocarbons are the main source of energy. As a result, it hastened the decarburization of the world energy system to lower the noteworthy quantities of CO2 emissions from these sources. All quantile groups' economic development is strongly impacted by the digital economy and the move to green energy, according to the Methodology of instants of quantile regression (MMQR). The only element that positively impacts environmental sustainability across all quantile groups is the switch to Green energy. Reducing CO2 emissions and increasing economic development are characteristics of the low-quantile group. While the median quantile group does see a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, economic growth remains stagnant.

A study on the potential of digital economy in reducing agricultural carbon emissions.

Agriculture is a significant source of carbon emissions, which have a substantial environmental impact. The digital economy plays a vital role in mitigating these emissions through innovative digital solutions. As a leading agricultural nation, China faces substantial pressure to reduce its agricultural carbon emissions(ACE). This paper aims to thoroughly examine the relationship between the growth of the rural digital economy and ACE. To achieve this, we utilize an extensive panel dataset covering China's provinces from 2011 to 2020, analyzing the dynamic and spatial effects of digital economy development on ACE. The key findings of this research are as follows: (1) The rapid expansion of the digital economy significantly reduces ACE. (2) The impact of digital economic development on lowering ACE varies spatially, with a clear progression from eastern to western regions. (3) The digital economy helps reduce ACE through three specific channels: fostering technological innovation, enhancing scale efficiency management, and providing agricultural financial incentives. Based on these findings, this study proposes policy recommendations to improve digital infrastructure, promote balanced regional development in the digital economy, and optimize the management of agricultural science and technology. These policy insights aim to transform agriculture and achieve the goal of reducing ACE, thereby contributing to broader environmental sustainability.

Assessing the influence of the digital economy on carbon emissions: Evidence at the global level.

This paper discusses the influence of the digital economy (DE) on carbon emissions based on evidence at the global level. Specifically, based on the panel data from 80 countries from 2010 to 2020, this paper creates a DE measurement index and uses the System-GMM model to assess the influence of DE on carbon emissions. The results show that: (1) The development of DE significantly promotes carbon emissions reduction. (2) The development of DE significantly promotes carbon emissions reduction through technological advancement, structural optimization, and educational enhancement; (3) Regulatory quality and financial development play a positively moderating role in DE's promoting effect on carbon emissions reduction; (4) DE of European and North American nations have stronger promoting effect on carbon emissions reduction than DE of other countries. Compared to DE of developing countries, DE of developed countries has a stronger promoting effect on carbon emissions reduction. Additionally, this paper also finds that institutional differences can impact the carbon emission reduction effects of DE. Based on the results, this paper suggests that governments globally should promote the development of DE and foster international cooperation to enhance DE's driving role in promoting carbon emissions reduction.

Smartphone access, digital economy, and pesticide use intensity: Evidence from China.

Pesticide overuse has been an increasing concern in China. Digital technology, such as smartphone access, is considered an effective way to promote proper use of pesticides. Using the Chinese Extended Family Database (2015, 2017, and 2019), this study empirically examines the impact of smartphone access on pesticide use intensity among Chinese farmers. The results show a "double-edged sword" effect of smartphone access on pesticide use intensity. In rural areas with a low level of digital economy, greater smartphone access led to higher pesticide use intensity. In rural areas with a high digital economy level, smartphone access reduced pesticide use intensity. The study results show that reducing pesticide use intensity through digital technology is not a linear process but a complicated one that involves social and engineering integration, including an increase in access to smartphones, development of a regional digital economy, reconstruction of agricultural extension systems, and enhancement of the capacity of digital technology.

Carbon reduction through renewable energy and digitalization in emerging economies: Moderating role of public debt.

Utilizing renewable energy (RE) and embracing the digital economy (DIG) can significantly contribute to achieving economic, energy, and climate goals by promoting carbon reduction. In this regard, public debt (DEB) is particularly important since it provides the funds required to achieve these goals by investing in renewable energy and digital economy projects. This study examines the impact of public debt on the link between renewable energy and carbon emissions (CE), as well as the association between the digital economy and carbon emissions in emerging economies from 2003 to 2022. The study employed cross-sectional augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) estimation to check the relationship between the variables. The findings of our study suggest that the integration of renewable energy sources and the growth of the digital economy have a positive impact on reducing carbon emissions. On the other hand, public debt has a positive effect on carbon emissions. In addition, the findings support the notion that interaction terms (RE × DEB) and (DIG × DEB) have a diminishing effect on carbon emissions. It can be concluded that the reduction of carbon emissions is contingent upon the utilization of public debt to promote the growth of renewable energy and the digital economy. Based on our study, it is recommended that emerging economies' needs focus on boosting renewable energy usage and digital economy initiatives. Additionally, it is necessary for these economies to maintain a sustainable level of debt.

From bits to green: Unraveling the digital economy's influence on natural resource efficiency.

This study explores the impact of the digital economy (DE) on natural resource efficiency (NRE) across 275 Chinese cities between 2011 and 2021. Through a comprehensive empirical analysis, we find that the DE significantly positively affects NRE. A key moderating factor in this relationship is green technological innovation (GTI), focusing on the quality rather than the quantity of green technology. Our study also uncovers regional variations of moderating effect. Additionally, we identify several mechanisms through which the DE contributes to enhanced NRE, including the transformation of industrial structure and improvements in green total factor productivity. A detailed heterogeneity analysis shows that the DE's impact on NRE varies according to city-specific factors such as natural resource endowment, city size, environmental regulations, and administrative levels. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how the DE influences NRE at the urban level, contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable development in the digital age. Our research offers policy recommendations and potential pathways for cities to leverage the DE for greater natural resource efficiency.

Digital economy's role in shaping carbon emissions in the construction field: Insights from Chinese cities.

Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector is essential to sustainable development policy. Previous studies have ignored the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions in the construction industry. Using relevant city-level data from China from 2011 to 2021 and employing ArcGIS and Stata software, this study examines the current status of carbon emissions from the construction industry and investigates the impact of the digital economy on these emissions. The findings reveal that (1) from 2011 to 2021, carbon emissions of the construction industry have a pattern of decreasing-increasing-decreasing-increasing across the country. There is an increasing concentration of areas with high and relatively high carbon discharges in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Guangxi, and Guizhou. (2) The standard deviation ellipse indicates the core area of carbon emissions in China's construction industry is moving northeast and becoming more decentralized. (3) Through a series of robustness tests, the digital economy has been proven to effectively reduce carbon emissions from the construction sector in municipal areas. (4) In severely cold regions, mild regions, and high-population-density cities, the digital economy reduces building sector's carbon output. However, it stimulates carbon emissions in the hot summer and cold winter regions. (5) Mechanism tests show that the digital economy reduces China's urban construction carbon emissions by fostering technological progress and green innovation. Urban resilience further strengthens the contribution of the digital economy to reducing carbon discharges in the urban construction sector of China. This article presents empirical evidence demonstrating how the digital economy empowers the construction industry to curtail emissions.

Digital economy and the synergistic governance of pollutants and carbon emissions: Facilitation or obstruction?

As an emerging force enabling high-quality economic development, digital economy (DE) still requires further investigation regarding its impact on synergistic governance of pollutants and carbon emissions (SGPCE). This study examines the impact of DE on SGPCE using two-way fixed effects model, intermediary effect model, and spatial Durbin model using provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020. The research reveals that: (1) DE has a significant promoting effect on SGPCE. (2) Enhancing the degree of green technology innovation is a crucial means of transmission for DE to propel SGPCE. (3) DE additionally exerts a constructive influence on SGPCE in adjacent regions, manifesting a spatial spillover effect. (4) Furthermore, DE demonstrates a notably heightened impact on SGPCE in the western region with respect to regional heterogeneity. Additionally, in the realm of dimension heterogeneity, the industrial digitization yields more favorable dividends for SGPCE compared to digital industrialization. The above conclusions provide novel insights and empirical evidence to validate the connection between DE and SGPCE. It also gives new policy recommendations for China to combat pollution prevention and climate warming under the wave of global digitization.