IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i16p10255-d891231.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can Digital Finance Promote Comprehensive Carbon Emission Performance? Evidence from Chinese Cities

Author

Listed:
  • Hanhua Shao

    (Research Center of the Central China for Economic and Social Development, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China)

  • Jixin Cheng

    (School of Business, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China)

  • Yuansheng Wang

    (Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China)

  • Xiaoming Li

    (Center for Economic Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China)

Abstract

Improving urban comprehensive carbon emission performance (CCEP) is the inevitable choice for China’s low-carbon development. With the continuous integration of digital technology and financial elements, the development of urban digital finance has also been significantly improved. To further explore the impact of urban digital finance on urban low-carbon development, using the data of 281 cities in China from 2011 to 2019, this paper firstly evaluates the urban CCEP, and further empirically investigates how digital finance influences CCEP. The empirical results show that: (1) Digital finance significantly improves the urban CCEP, and after conducting robustness tests and addressing the endogeneity issue, the above conclusion is robust. (2) For the sub-indicators, there is a U-shaped relationship between the coverage breadth of digital finance and CCEP. Moreover, the improvement of usage depth and digital support services could promote CCEP. (3) The channel tests indicate that digital finance improves the CCEP mainly by promoting green technology innovation and the development of urban tertiary industry. Meantime, digital finance has a stronger impact on improving CCEP in cities with more developed traditional finance, and the positive effect is significant in non-old industrial base cities and a two-control zone. Finally, this paper puts forward relevant policy suggestions.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanhua Shao & Jixin Cheng & Yuansheng Wang & Xiaoming Li, 2022. "Can Digital Finance Promote Comprehensive Carbon Emission Performance? Evidence from Chinese Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:10255-:d:891231
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/16/10255/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/16/10255/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yiping Huang & Xun Wang, 2011. "Does Financial Repression Inhibit or Facilitate Economic Growth? A Case Study of Chinese Reform Experience," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 73, pages 833-855, December.
    2. Jalil, Abdul & Feridun, Mete, 2011. "The impact of growth, energy and financial development on the environment in China: A cointegration analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 284-291, March.
    3. Jiang, Lei & Zhou, Haifeng & He, Shixiong, 2021. "Does energy efficiency increase at the expense of output performance: Evidence from manufacturing firms in Jiangsu province, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    4. Chen, Yu & Lin, Boqiang, 2021. "Understanding the green total factor energy efficiency gap between regional manufacturing—insight from infrastructure development," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    5. Allen, Franklin & Gale, Douglas, 1999. "Diversity of Opinion and Financing of New Technologies," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 8(1-2), pages 68-89, January.
    6. Fang, Guochang & Gao, Zhengye & Tian, Lixin & Fu, Min, 2022. "What drives urban carbon emission efficiency? – Spatial analysis based on nighttime light data," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    7. Dariush Khezrimotlagh & Yao Chen, 2018. "Data Envelopment Analysis," International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, in: Decision Making and Performance Evaluation Using Data Envelopment Analysis, chapter 0, pages 217-234, Springer.
    8. Jon Frost & Leonardo Gambacorta & Yi Huang & Hyun Song Shin & Pablo Zbinden, 2019. "BigTech and the changing structure of financial intermediation," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 34(100), pages 761-799.
    9. Hall, Bronwyn H. & Lerner, Josh, 2010. "The Financing of R&D and Innovation," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 609-639, Elsevier.
    10. Hao, Yu & Liao, Hua & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2015. "Is China’s carbon reduction target allocation reasonable? An analysis based on carbon intensity convergence," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 229-239.
    11. Lee, Chi-Chuan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "How does green finance affect green total factor productivity? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    12. Morikawa, Masayuki, 2012. "Population density and efficiency in energy consumption: An empirical analysis of service establishments," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 1617-1622.
    13. Acheampong, Alex O., 2019. "Modelling for insight: Does financial development improve environmental quality?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 156-179.
    14. Sadorsky, Perry, 2010. "The impact of financial development on energy consumption in emerging economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 2528-2535, May.
    15. Wu, Haitao & Hao, Yu & Ren, Siyu, 2020. "How do environmental regulation and environmental decentralization affect green total factor energy efficiency: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    16. Buchak, Greg & Matvos, Gregor & Piskorski, Tomasz & Seru, Amit, 2018. "Fintech, regulatory arbitrage, and the rise of shadow banks," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(3), pages 453-483.
    17. Hu, Jin-Li & Wang, Shih-Chuan, 2006. "Total-factor energy efficiency of regions in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(17), pages 3206-3217, November.
    18. López-Peña, Álvaro & Pérez-Arriaga, Ignacio & Linares, Pedro, 2012. "Renewables vs. energy efficiency: The cost of carbon emissions reduction in Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 659-668.
    19. Juan Luo & Bao-zhen Li, 2022. "Impact of Digital Financial Inclusion on Consumption Inequality in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 529-553, September.
    20. Pascaline Dupas & Jonathan Robinson, 2013. "Why Don't the Poor Save More? Evidence from Health Savings Experiments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(4), pages 1138-1171, June.
    21. Li, Yi & Sun, Linyan & Feng, Taiwen & Zhu, Chunyan, 2013. "How to reduce energy intensity in China: A regional comparison perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 513-522.
    22. Maria Demertzis & Silvia Merler & Guntram B Wolff, 2018. "Capital Markets Union and the Fintech Opportunity," Journal of Financial Regulation, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(1), pages 157-165.
    23. Lv, Chengchao & Bian, Baocheng & Lee, Chien-Chiang & He, Zhiwen, 2021. "Regional gap and the trend of green finance development in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    24. Zhou, P. & Ang, B.W. & Poh, K.L., 2008. "Measuring environmental performance under different environmental DEA technologies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-14, January.
    25. Zhang, Yue-Jun, 2011. "The impact of financial development on carbon emissions: An empirical analysis in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 2197-2203, April.
    26. Pastor, Jesus T. & Lovell, C.A. Knox, 2005. "A global Malmquist productivity index," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 266-271, August.
    27. Belke, Ansgar & Dobnik, Frauke & Dreger, Christian, 2011. "Energy consumption and economic growth: New insights into the cointegration relationship," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 782-789, September.
    28. Yue-Jun Zhang & Zhao Liu & Huan Zhang & Tai-De Tan, 2014. "The impact of economic growth, industrial structure and urbanization on carbon emission intensity in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 73(2), pages 579-595, September.
    29. Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), 2010. "Handbook of the Economics of Innovation," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 1, number 1.
    30. Le, Thai-Ha & Le, Ha-Chi & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad, 2020. "Does financial inclusion impact CO2 emissions? Evidence from Asia," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    31. Xu, Le & Fan, Meiting & Yang, Lili & Shao, Shuai, 2021. "Heterogeneous green innovations and carbon emission performance: Evidence at China's city level," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    32. Yang, Jun & Cheng, Jixin & Zou, Ran & Geng, Zhifei, 2021. "Industrial SO2 technical efficiency, reduction potential and technology heterogeneities of China's prefecture-level cities: A multi-hierarchy meta-frontier parametric approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    33. Sadorsky, Perry, 2013. "Do urbanization and industrialization affect energy intensity in developing countries?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 52-59.
    34. Wang, Fayuan & Wang, Rong & He, Zhili, 2021. "The impact of environmental pollution and green finance on the high-quality development of energy based on spatial Dubin model," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    35. Färe, Rolf & Grosskopf, Shawna & Pasurka, Carl A., 2007. "Environmental production functions and environmental directional distance functions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1055-1066.
    36. Wang, Shaojian & Zeng, Jingyuan & Huang, Yongyuan & Shi, Chenyi & Zhan, Peiyu, 2018. "The effects of urbanization on CO2 emissions in the Pearl River Delta: A comprehensive assessment and panel data analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 1693-1706.
    37. Tone, Kaoru, 2002. "A slacks-based measure of super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 32-41, November.
    38. Yu, Yantuan & Zhang, Ning, 2021. "Low-carbon city pilot and carbon emission efficiency: Quasi-experimental evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    39. Li, Jie & Wu, Yu & Xiao, Jing Jian, 2020. "The impact of digital finance on household consumption: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 317-326.
    40. Stiglitz, Joseph E & Weiss, Andrew, 1981. "Credit Rationing in Markets with Imperfect Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(3), pages 393-410, June.
    41. Renzhi, Nuobu & Baek, Yong Jun, 2020. "Can financial inclusion be an effective mitigation measure? evidence from panel data analysis of the environmental Kuznets curve," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    42. Zhu, Xuehong & Chen, Ying & Feng, Chao, 2018. "Green total factor productivity of China's mining and quarrying industry: A global data envelopment analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-9.
    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. Zhenhua Xu & Fuyi Ci, 2023. "Spatial-Temporal Characteristics and Driving Factors of Coupling Coordination between the Digital Economy and Low-Carbon Development in the Yellow River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-23, February.
    2. Lyu Jun & Shuang Lu & Xiang Li & Zeng Li & Chenglong Cao, 2023. "Spatio-Temporal Characteristics of Industrial Carbon Emission Efficiency and Their Impacts from Digital Economy at Chinese Prefecture-Level Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Zhibo Zhao & Jiamin Ren & Zheng Liu, 2023. "How Does Urbanization Affect Carbon Emission Performance? Evidence from 282 Cities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Rulong Zhuang & Kena Mi & Menglu Zhi & Chaoyang Zhang, 2022. "Digital Finance and Green Development: Characteristics, Mechanisms, and Empirical Evidences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-21, December.
    5. Long Qian & Xiaolin Xu & Yunjie Zhou & Ying Sun & Duoliang Ma, 2023. "Carbon Emission Reduction Effects of the Smart City Pilot Policy in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-24, March.
    6. Xiaoli Wu & Yaoyao Qin & Qizhuo Xie & Yunyi Zhang, 2022. "The Mediating and Moderating Effects of the Digital Economy on PM 2.5 : Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-17, November.
    7. Li, Ji & Zhou, Quan & He, Xu & Chen, Wan & Xu, Hongming, 2023. "Data-driven enabling technologies in soft sensors of modern internal combustion engines: Perspectives," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    8. Yukun Ma & Shaojian Wang & Chunshan Zhou, 2023. "Can the Development of the Digital Economy Reduce Urban Carbon Emissions? Case Study of Guangdong Province," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-13, March.
    9. Bai, Ling & Guo, Tianran & Xu, Wei & Liu, Yaobin & Kuang, Ming & Jiang, Lei, 2023. "Effects of digital economy on carbon emission intensity in Chinese cities: A life-cycle theory and the application of non-linear spatial panel smooth transition threshold model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    10. Haiyan Lei & Suiping Zeng & Aihemaiti Namaiti & Jian Zeng, 2023. "The Impacts of Road Traffic on Urban Carbon Emissions and the Corresponding Planning Strategies," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, March.

    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. Le Sun & Congmou Zhu & Shaofeng Yuan & Lixia Yang & Shan He & Wuyan Li, 2022. "Exploring the Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Agricultural Carbon Emission Performance in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Li, Jiaman & Dong, Xiucheng & Dong, Kangyin, 2022. "How financial inclusion affects the collaborative reduction of pollutant and carbon emissions: The case of China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    3. Qu, Chenyao & Shao, Jun & Shi, Zhenkai, 2020. "Does financial agglomeration promote the increase of energy efficiency in China?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    4. Feng, Yidai & Yuan, Huaxi & Liu, Yaobin & Zhang, Shaohui, 2023. "Does new-type urbanization policy promote green energy efficiency? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    5. Huang, Hongyun & Mbanyele, William & Fan, Shuangshuang & Zhao, Xin, 2022. "Digital financial inclusion and energy-environment performance: What can learn from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 342-366.
    6. Zeqiraj, Veton & Sohag, Kazi & Soytas, Ugur, 2020. "Stock market development and low-carbon economy: The role of innovation and renewable energy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Hoang, Thi Hong Van & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar & Roubaud, David, 2017. "Energy consumption, financial development and economic growth in India: New evidence from a nonlinear and asymmetric analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 199-212.
    8. Acheampong, Alex O., 2019. "Modelling for insight: Does financial development improve environmental quality?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 156-179.
    9. Yujian Jin & Lihong Yu & Yan Wang, 2022. "Green Total Factor Productivity and Its Saving Effect on the Green Factor in China’s Strategic Minerals Industry from 1998–2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-20, November.
    10. Li, Ke & Lin, Boqiang, 2015. "Measuring green productivity growth of Chinese industrial sectors during 1998–2011," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 279-295.
    11. Chen, Zhongfei & Huang, Wanjing & Zheng, Xian, 2019. "The decline in energy intensity: Does financial development matter?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    12. Shao, Jun & Wang, Lianghu, 2023. "Can new-type urbanization improve the green total factor energy efficiency? Evidence from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(PB).
    13. Dervis Kirikkaleli & Rui Alexandre Castanho & Sema Yilmaz Genc & Modupe Oluyemisi Oyebanji & Gualter Couto, 2022. "The Asymmetric and Long-Run Effect of Financial Stability on Environmental Degradation in Norway," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-15, August.
    14. Ruomeng Zhou & Yunsheng Zhang, 2023. "Measurement of Urban Green Total Factor Productivity and Analysis of Its Temporal and Spatial Evolution in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-32, June.
    15. Yang, Jun & Cheng, Jixin & Zou, Ran & Geng, Zhifei, 2021. "Industrial SO2 technical efficiency, reduction potential and technology heterogeneities of China's prefecture-level cities: A multi-hierarchy meta-frontier parametric approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    16. Alam & Paramati, 2015. "Do oil consumption and economic growth intensify environmental degradation? Evidence from developing economies," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(48), pages 5186-5203, October.
    17. Rafindadi, Abdulkadir Abdulrashid, 2016. "Does the need for economic growth influence energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Nigeria? Evidence from the innovation accounting test," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1209-1225.
    18. Xiang, Yitian & Cui, Haotian & Bi, Yunxiao, 2023. "The impact and channel effects of banking competition and government intervention on carbon emissions: Evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    19. Peirong Chen & Ruhe Xie & Mingxuan Lu, 2020. "“Resource Conservation” or “Environmental Friendliness”: How do Urban Clusters Affect Total-Factor Ecological Performance in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-28, June.
    20. Zhao, Bingyu & Yang, Wanping, 2020. "Does financial development influence CO2 emissions? A Chinese province-level study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(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:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:10255-:d:891231. 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.