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Digital Economy, Environmental Regulation, and Ecological Well-Being Performance: A Provincial Panel Data Analysis from China

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoming Song

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
    Department of Postal Communication Management, Shijiazhuang Posts and Telecommunications Technical College, Shijiazhuang 050021, China)

  • Ze Tian

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

  • Chenhui Ding

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

  • Chao Liu

    (School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing 210000, China)

  • Wei Wang

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

  • Ronggai Zhao

    (Foreign Language Teaching and International Exchange Department, Shijiazhuang Posts and Telecommunications Technical College, Shijiazhuang 050021, China)

  • Yingchun Xing

    (Department of Postal Communication Management, Shijiazhuang Posts and Telecommunications Technical College, Shijiazhuang 050021, China)

Abstract

China is currently in a strategic opportunity period for green and high-quality development, and developing the digital economy is an important choice to achieve environmental pollution control, improve regional ecological efficiency, and enhance social welfare. In this context, the impact of the digital economy on ecological well-being performance and the role of environmental regulation need to be examined. In this study, the super-efficiency SBM-DEA model was used to measure the level of ecological well-being performance in 30 provinces of China from 2011 to 2019. On this basis, the mediating effect model and spatial Durbin model were adopted to explore the transmission mechanism and regional heterogeneity of the impact of the digital economy on ecological well-being performance. The empirical results show that the digital economy significantly contributes to regional ecological well-being performance in China, and there is significant spatial spillover as well. Moreover, the findings still hold under robustness tests. The results also show that environmental regulation is an important transmission path for the digital economy to enhance regional ecological well-being performance, and the impact of environmental regulation on ecological well-being performance varies by region; specifically, the impact in eastern China is positive but not significant. However, the digital economy plays a significant positive role in promoting ecological well-being performance in the central and western regions, and is more obvious in the central region. Finally, suggestions are put forward to enhance the role of the digital economy in regional ecological well-being performance, which is of great significance for promoting green economic growth and high-quality development.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoming Song & Ze Tian & Chenhui Ding & Chao Liu & Wei Wang & Ronggai Zhao & Yingchun Xing, 2022. "Digital Economy, Environmental Regulation, and Ecological Well-Being Performance: A Provincial Panel Data Analysis from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:18:p:11801-:d:918656
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