IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eneeco/v137y2024ics0140988324004869.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digitizing the green revolution: E-commerce as a catalyst for clean energy transition in rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Cao, Andi
  • Su, Mengying
  • Li, Houjian

Abstract

Currently, numerous rural regions face the dual challenges of energy poverty and environmental pollution, which highlight the urgent need to improve the clean energy consumption structure in these areas. Against the backdrop of digital development, this study employs a series of exogenous treatment effect models to estimate the impact of e-commerce on the transition to clean energy in rural areas and explore its underlying mechanisms using agricultural census big data from China. The results indicate that the adoption of e-commerce can significantly facilitate the transition to clean energy, which remains robust even after addressing endogenous issues. Specifically, villages equipped with an e-commerce delivery station experience a 25% to 41.33% improvement in their natural gas connection rate compared to villages without such facilities. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of e-commerce on promoting clean energy transition is more pronounced in villages located in the underdeveloped western and highland regions, as well as those with public transportation systems and village secretaries who have education levels below high school. Furthermore, as the likelihood of a village participating in e-commerce decreases, the impact of e-commerce on the clean energy transition strengthens. Lastly, the underlying mechanisms suggest that e-commerce contributes to the transition towards clean energy by strengthening collective action, promoting rural commerce development, and increasing participation in pension insurance. These findings suggest that promoting e-commerce development in rural areas is a crucial strategy for effectively driving energy transition, especially in underdeveloped rural areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Cao, Andi & Su, Mengying & Li, Houjian, 2024. "Digitizing the green revolution: E-commerce as a catalyst for clean energy transition in rural China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:137:y:2024:i:c:s0140988324004869
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2024.107778
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988324004869
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2024.107778?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arthur Lewbel, 2012. "Using Heteroscedasticity to Identify and Estimate Mismeasured and Endogenous Regressor Models," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 67-80.
    2. He, Jia & Qing, Chen & Guo, Shili & Zhou, Wenfeng & Deng, Xin & Xu, Dingde, 2022. "Promoting rural households' energy use for cooking: Using Internet," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    3. Monica Martinez-Bravo, 2014. "The Role of Local Officials in New Democracies: Evidence from Indonesia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(4), pages 1244-1287, April.
    4. Hughes, John S. & Logue, Dennis E. & Sweeney, Richard James, 1975. "Corporate International Diversification and Market Assigned Measures of Risk and Diversification," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 627-637, November.
    5. Xin Tang & Hua Liao, 2014. "Energy poverty and solid fuels use in rural China: Analysis based on national population census," CEEP-BIT Working Papers 57, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEP), Beijing Institute of Technology.
    6. Llorca, Manuel & Rodriguez-Alvarez, Ana & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2020. "Objective vs. subjective fuel poverty and self-assessed health," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Zhang, Sheng-Hao & Yang, Jun & Feng, Chao, 2023. "Can internet development alleviate energy poverty? Evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    8. Li, Xiaokang & Guo, Hongdong & Jin, Songqing & Ma, Wanglin & Zeng, Yiwu, 2021. "Do farmers gain internet dividends from E-commerce adoption? Evidence from China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    9. van der Kroon, Bianca & Brouwer, Roy & van Beukering, Pieter J.H., 2013. "The energy ladder: Theoretical myth or empirical truth? Results from a meta-analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 504-513.
    10. Imran Rasul & Daniel Rogger, 2018. "Management of Bureaucrats and Public Service Delivery: Evidence from the Nigerian Civil Service," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(608), pages 413-446, February.
    11. Wong, Ho Lun & Luo, Renfu & Zhang, Linxiu & Rozelle, Scott, 2013. "Providing quality infrastructure in rural villages: The case of rural roads in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 262-274.
    12. Hosier, Richard H. & Dowd, Jeffrey, 1987. "Household fuel choice in Zimbabwe : An empirical test of the energy ladder hypothesis," Resources and Energy, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 347-361, December.
    13. Han, Jiashi & Zhang, Lei & Li, Yang, 2022. "Spatiotemporal analysis of rural energy transition and upgrading in developing countries: The case of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    14. Chindarkar, Namrata & Jain, Abhishek & Mani, Sunil, 2021. "Examining the willingness-to-pay for exclusive use of LPG for cooking among rural households in India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    15. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    16. Luan, Bingjiang & Zou, Hong & Huang, Junbing, 2023. "Digital divide and household energy poverty in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    17. Xie, Lunyu & Hu, Xian & Zhang, Xinyi & Zhang, Xiao-Bing, 2022. "Who suffers from energy poverty in household energy transition? Evidence from clean heating program in rural China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    18. Levy, Haim & Sarnat, Marshall, 1970. "International Diversification of Investment Portfolios," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 60(4), pages 668-675, September.
    19. Guojun He & Shaoda Wang, 2017. "Do College Graduates Serving as Village Officials Help Rural China?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 186-215, October.
    20. Elinor Ostrom, 2010. "Analyzing collective action," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(s1), pages 155-166, November.
    21. Ren, Siyu & Hao, Yu & Xu, Lu & Wu, Haitao & Ba, Ning, 2021. "Digitalization and energy: How does internet development affect China's energy consumption?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    22. Fang Wang & Haitao Zheng, 2021. "Do Public Pensions Improve Mental Wellbeing? Evidence from the New Rural Society Pension Insurance Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, March.
    23. DiPrete, Thomas A. & Gangl, Markus, 2004. "Assessing bias in the estimation of causal effects: Rosenbaum bounds on matching estimators and instrumental variables estimation with imperfect instruments," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Labor Market Policy and Employment SP I 2004-101, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    24. Jinzhou Geng & Chenggang Li, 2020. "Empirical Research on the Spatial Distribution and Determinants of Regional E-Commerce in China: Evidence from Chinese Provinces," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(13), pages 3117-3133, October.
    25. Guido W. Imbens & Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2009. "Recent Developments in the Econometrics of Program Evaluation," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(1), pages 5-86, March.
    26. Lining He & Faye Duchin, 2009. "Regional Development In China: Interregional Transportation Infrastructure And Regional Comparative Advantage," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 3-22.
    27. Imran Rasul & Daniel Rogger, 2018. "Management of Bureaucrats and Public Service Delivery: Evidence from the Nigerian Civil Service," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(608), pages 413-446, February.
    28. Yan Mei & Danling Mao & Yuhui Lu & Wei Chu, 2020. "Effects and mechanisms of rural E‐commerce clusters on households' entrepreneurship behavior in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(4), pages 1588-1610, December.
    29. Li, Jianglong & Chen, Chang & Liu, Hongxun, 2019. "Transition from non-commercial to commercial energy in rural China: Insights from the accessibility and affordability," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 392-403.
    30. Yu Chen & Haoming Shi & Jun Ma & Victor Shi, 2020. "The Spatial Spillover Effect in Hi-Tech Industries: Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-16, February.
    31. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell & Farrell, Lisa, 2020. "Fuel poverty and subjective wellbeing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    32. repec:dau:papers:123456789/12130 is not listed on IDEAS
    33. Timothy Besley & Jose G. Montalvo & Marta Reynal‐Querol, 2011. "Do Educated Leaders Matter?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(554), pages 205-205, August.
    34. Apergis, Nicholas & Polemis, Michael & Soursou, Simeoni-Eleni, 2022. "Energy poverty and education: Fresh evidence from a panel of developing countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    35. Masera, Omar R. & Saatkamp, Barbara D. & Kammen, Daniel M., 2000. "From Linear Fuel Switching to Multiple Cooking Strategies: A Critique and Alternative to the Energy Ladder Model," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(12), pages 2083-2103, December.
    36. Qing Zhao & Zhen Li & Taichang Chen, 2016. "The Impact of Public Pension on Household Consumption: Evidence from China’s Survey Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-15, September.
    37. Kaivan Munshi & Mark Rosenzweig, 2015. "Insiders and Outsiders: Local Ethnic Politics and Public Goods Provision," NBER Working Papers 21720, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    38. Ma, Wanglin & Zhou, Xiaoshi & Renwick, Alan, 2019. "Impact of off-farm income on household energy expenditures in China: Implications for rural energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 248-258.
    39. Ding, Xiuying & Liu, Xuemei, 2023. "Renewable energy development and transportation infrastructure matters for green economic growth? Empirical evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 634-646.
    40. Leach, Gerald, 1992. "The energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 116-123, February.
    41. Qi, Jiaqi & Zheng, Xiaoyong & Guo, Hongdong, 2019. "The formation of Taobao villages in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 106-127.
    42. O'Sullivan, Kate & Golubchikov, Oleg & Mehmood, Abid, 2020. "Uneven energy transitions: Understanding continued energy peripheralization in rural communities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    43. Andrea Goldstein & David O’Connor, 2000. "E-Commerce for Development: Prospects and Policy Issues," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 164, OECD Publishing.
    44. Han, Hongyun & Wu, Shu & Zhang, Zhijian, 2018. "Factors underlying rural household energy transition: A case study of China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 234-244.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gongyi Li & Tao Luo & Jianghua Xiong & Yanna Gao & Xi Meng & Yaoguo Zuo & Yi Liu & Jing Ma & Qiuwen Chen & Yuxin Liu & Yichong Xin & Yangjie Ye, 2025. "Analysis of Dynamic Biogas Consumption in Chinese Rural Areas at Village, Township, and County Levels," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-17, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Meng & Jin, Tianyu & Liu, Shenglong & Zhou, Shaojie, 2021. "The cost of clean energy transition in rural China: Evidence based on marginal treatment effects," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    2. Li, Jiajia & Li, Houjian, 2022. "Spiritual support or living support: Which alleviates solid fuel use for rural households in ethnical minority regions of China?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 479-491.
    3. Chang, Huayi & Zhang, Junbiao, 2024. "Income growth versus labor loss: The joint impacts of rural-urban migration and off-farm employment on household energy use in rural China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    4. Wu, Shu & Wang, Yiluo, 2024. "The impact of land-use policy on household energy transition: Evidence from China's conversion of cropland to forestland program," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 308(C).
    5. Yang, Xiaojun & Xu, Jintao & Xu, Xiaojie & Yi, Yuanyuan & Hyde, William F., 2020. "Collective forest tenure reform and household energy consumption: A case study in Yunnan Province, China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    6. Wang, Menghan & Liu, Zhong & Xu, Aiyan & Yang, Dan, 2022. "Fuel choice for rural Tibetan households: Impacts of access to credit," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Wang, Yao & Du, Zhili, 2024. "Has energy poverty entangled the households by hindering the filial generation?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    8. Siyou Xia & Yu Yang & Xiaoying Qian & Xin Xu, 2022. "Spatiotemporal Interaction and Socioeconomic Determinants of Rural Energy Poverty in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-15, August.
    9. Han, Hongyun & Wu, Shu, 2018. "Rural residential energy transition and energy consumption intensity in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 523-534.
    10. Chen, Feifei & Qiu, Huanguang & Zhang, Jun, 2022. "Energy consumption and income of the poor in rural China: Inference for poverty measures," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    11. Ma, Shaoyue & Man, Hecheng & Li, Xiao & Xu, Xiangbo & Sun, Mingxing & Xie, Minghui & Zhang, Linxiu, 2023. "How nonfarm employment drives the households’ energy transition: Evidence from rural China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    12. Li, Houjian & Cao, Andi & Twumasi, Martinson Ankrah & Zhang, Hongzhen & Zhong, Shunbin & Guo, Lili, 2023. "Do female cadres improve clean energy accessibility in villages? Evidence from rural China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    13. Ahmed Moustapha Mfokeu & Elie Virgile Chrysostome & Jean-Pierre Gueyie & Olivier Ebenezer Mun Ngapna, 2023. "Consumer Motivation behind the Use of Ecological Charcoal in Cameroon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, January.
    14. Andadari, Roos Kities & Mulder, Peter & Rietveld, Piet, 2014. "Energy poverty reduction by fuel switching. Impact evaluation of the LPG conversion program in Indonesia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 436-449.
    15. van der Kroon, Bianca & Brouwer, Roy & van Beukering, Pieter J.H., 2014. "The impact of the household decision environment on fuel choice behavior," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 236-247.
    16. Jonas Hjort & Diana Moreira & Gautam Rao & Juan Francisco Santini, 2021. "How Research Affects Policy: Experimental Evidence from 2,150 Brazilian Municipalities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(5), pages 1442-1480, May.
    17. Gupta, Ridhima & Pelli, Martino, 2021. "Electrification and cooking fuel choice in rural India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    18. Cheng, Chao-yo & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2014. "Fuel stacking in India: Changes in the cooking and lighting mix, 1987–2010," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 306-317.
    19. Muller, Christophe & Yan, Huijie, 2018. "Household fuel use in developing countries: Review of theory and evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 429-439.
    20. Nie, Peng & Li, Qiaoge & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso, 2021. "Energy poverty and subjective well-being in China: New evidence from the China Family Panel Studies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:137:y:2024:i:c:s0140988324004869. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eneco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.