IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i16p12528-d1219594.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards a Green Economy in China? Examining the Impact of the Internet of Things and Environmental Regulation on Green Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang Dong

    (Law School, East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai 200050, China)

  • Sana Ullah

    (School of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan)

Abstract

The idea of green growth stresses the necessity for economic expansion while resolving environmental issues, notably climate change. The Internet of Things (IoT) and environmental regulations have the potential to support green growth. Therefore, this study intends to examine the empirical link between the IoT, environmental regulations, and green growth in China by utilizing the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and quantile autoregressive distributed lag (QARDL) methods to analyze data from 1997 to 2021. Data are obtained from reputable local and international sources like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Development Indicators (WDI), the Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Findings derived from the baseline ARDL model prove that the IoT, environmental regulations, renewable energy consumption, and research and development (R&D) encourage long-run green growth. Likewise, the robust model also highlights that the internet, environmental policy stringency, renewable energy consumption, and R&D help encourage green growth. In the short run, environmental policy stringency and the internet are favorably linked to green growth in the robust model, and renewable energy consumption is favorably linked to green growth in the baselines model; however, environmental regulation is negatively linked to green growth. The findings from the QARDL analysis show that the impact of the IoT on promoting green growth is significant across all quantiles. On the other hand, the effects of environmental regulation are more pronounced at higher levels of green growth. These findings imply that policymakers should try to increase the role of digitalization in society by promoting the IoT and the internet to decouple economic growth and environmental pollution. Moreover, the digitalization policy should be supported by implementing strict environmental laws and regulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang Dong & Sana Ullah, 2023. "Towards a Green Economy in China? Examining the Impact of the Internet of Things and Environmental Regulation on Green Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:16:p:12528-:d:1219594
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/16/12528/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/16/12528/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lv, Chengchao & Shao, Changhua & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2021. "Green technology innovation and financial development: Do environmental regulation and innovation output matter?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    2. Wang, Yun & Sun, Xiaohua & Guo, Xu, 2019. "Environmental regulation and green productivity growth: Empirical evidence on the Porter Hypothesis from OECD industrial sectors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 611-619.
    3. Zhuo, Chengfeng & Xie, Yuping & Mao, Yanhua & Chen, Pengqin & Li, Yiqiao, 2022. "Can cross-regional environmental protection promote urban green development: Zero-sum game or win-win choice?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    4. M. Hashem Pesaran & Yongcheol Shin & Richard J. Smith, 2001. "Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 289-326.
    5. Li, Xiaolong & Ozturk, Ilhan & Ullah, Sana & Andlib, Zubaria & Hafeez, Muhammad, 2022. "Can top-pollutant economies shift some burden through insurance sector development for sustainable development?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 326-336.
    6. Bromley, Daniel W., 2007. "Environmental regulations and the problem of sustainability: Moving beyond "market failure"," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 676-683, September.
    7. Lange, Steffen & Pohl, Johanna & Santarius, Tilman, 2020. "Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    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. Sohail, Muhammad Tayyab & Din, Norashidah Md, 2024. "How do digital inclusion and energy security risks affect mineral resources trade? Evidence from world-leading mineral trading countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    2. Lin Wang & Yugang He & Renhong Wu, 2024. "The Green Engine of Growth: Assessing the Influence of Renewable Energy Consumption and Environmental Policy on China’s Economic Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-25, April.
    3. Yu Chen & Shuangshuang Liu & Yanqiu Xiao & Qian Zhou, 2024. "Can Digital Transformation Reduce Enterprise Carbon Intensity? An Empirical Analysis of Chinese Manufacturers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-19, June.
    4. Feng, Meihong & Zou, Donghang & Hafeez, Muhammad, 2024. "Mineral resource volatility and green growth: The role of technological development, environmental policy stringency, and trade openness," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    5. Lin Wang & Yugang He & Renhong Wu, 2024. "Digitization Meets Energy Transition: Shaping the Future of Environmental Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-25, February.
    6. Ye Yang & Zegen Wang & Ying Zhang & Jiulin Jiang & Jiwu He, 2023. "Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Green Energy Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-15, November.
    7. Pang, Dezhi & Jin, Xin & Zheng, Kengcheng & Tien, Nguyen Hoang, 2024. "A road toward green growth: Optimizing the role of mineral resources, fintech innovation and effective governance in G-20 economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

    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. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Qin, Shuai & Li, Yaya, 2022. "Does industrial robot application promote green technology innovation in the manufacturing industry?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    2. Usman, Ahmed & Ozturk, Ilhan & Ullah, Sana & Hassan, Ali, 2021. "Does ICT have symmetric or asymmetric effects on CO2 emissions? Evidence from selected Asian economies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    3. Chen, Jiamin & Chen, Yuwei, 2024. "Does natural resources rent promote carbon neutrality: The role of digital finance," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    4. Assad Ullah & Xinshun Zhao & Unbreen Qayyum & Muhammad Abdul Kamal & Aamir Aijaz Sayed, 2024. "Modeling the Relationship Between Environmental Regulations and Stock Market Growth in China: Evidence Beyond Symmetry," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 2460-2481, March.
    5. Xu, Deyi & Abbas, Shah & Rafique, Kalsoom & Ali, Najabat, 2023. "The race to net-zero emissions: Can green technological innovation and environmental regulation be the potential pathway to net-zero emissions?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    6. Shahid, Rabia & Shahid, Humera & Shijie, Li & Jian, Gao, 2024. "Developing nexus between economic opening-up, environmental regulations, rent of natural resources, green innovation, and environmental upgrading of China - empirical analysis using ARDL bound-testing," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 3(1).
    7. Wen, Huwei & Zhong, Qiming & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "Digitalization, competition strategy and corporate innovation: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing listed companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    8. Ahmed Samour & Usman Mehmood & Magdalena Radulescu & Radu Alexandru Budu & Rares Mihai Nitu, 2023. "Examining the Role of Renewable Energy, Technological Innovation, and the Insurance Market in Environmental Sustainability in the United States: A Step toward COP26 Targets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-15, August.
    9. Xianpu Xu & Xiawan Li & Lin Zheng, 2022. "A Blessing or a Curse? Exploring the Impact of Environmental Regulation on China’s Regional Green Development from the Perspective of Governance Transformation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-24, January.
    10. Murshed, Muntasir & Ahmed, Rizwan & Khudoykulov, Khurshid & Kumpamool, Chamaiporn & Alrwashdeh, Nusiebeh Nahar Falah & Mahmood, Haider, 2023. "Can enhancing financial inclusivity lower climate risks by inhibiting carbon emissions? Contextual evidence from emerging economies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    11. Hongyang Yu & Jiajun Xu & Hui Hu & Xunpeng Shi & Jinchao Wang & Yanli Liu, 2024. "How does green technology innovation influence industrial structure? Evidence of heterogeneous environmental regulation effects," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 17875-17903, July.
    12. Xie, Xin & Liu, Yufeng & Jiang, Xiaoxi & Wang, Zi Xuan, 2024. "Natural resources utilization, ICT growth, and renewable energy consumption: Pathways to sustainable development in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    13. Yuanshuo Xu & Jiahe Liang & Zhaoyingzi Dong & Minjun Shi, 2022. "Can Environmental Regulation Promote Green Innovation and Productivity? The Moderating Role of Government Interventions in Urban China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-17, October.
    14. Liao, Haojie & Chen, Yuqiang & Tan, RongYong & Chen, Yuling & Wei, Xiaoyu & Yang, Hongmei, 2023. "Can natural resource rent, technological innovation, renewable energy, and financial development ease China's environmental pollution burden? New evidence from the nonlinear-autoregressive distributiv," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    15. Luo, Kang & Liu, Yaobin & Chen, Pei-Fen & Zeng, Mingli, 2022. "Assessing the impact of digital economy on green development efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    16. Chao Ma & Hongying Li & Sardar Fawad Saleem & Firicel Mone, 2023. "Balancing Progress and Sustainability : Industrial Innovation's Impact on Europe's Emission Management, Economic Expansion, and Financial Growth," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(3), pages 129-147, October.
    17. Yu, Zhong, 2024. "Do natural resources promote carbon neutrality: The role of green finance," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    18. Xiao Yu & Zhaoteng Zeng, 2024. "Impact of heterogeneous environmental regulation on total factor productivity: an empirical study based on China’s provincial data," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 17813-17835, July.
    19. Shuming Ren & Lianqing Li & Yueqi Han & Yu Hao & Haitao Wu, 2022. "The emerging driving force of inclusive green growth: Does digital economy agglomeration work?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1656-1678, May.
    20. Karasoy, Alper, 2022. "Is innovative technology a solution to Japan's long-run energy insecurity? Dynamic evidence from the linear and nonlinear methods," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(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:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:16:p:12528-:d:1219594. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.