IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v88y2023icp1272-1286.html

Does digital finance development affect carbon emission intensity: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Lu, Fengzhi
  • Li, Zhongwu
  • Zhang, Shuai

Abstract

To achieve a green economic transformation, it is crucial to reduce carbon emission intensity (CEI), and digital finance has the potential to contribute to this objective. However, the specific impact of digital finance on CEI has not been thoroughly investigated. This study utilizes Chinese provincial data from 2011 to 2019 to examine the effect of digital finance on CEI using various analytical approaches, including a two-way fixed-effect model, instrumental variable method, and mediating-effect model. The findings of the study are as follows: (1) Digital finance has a significant and positive effect in reducing CEI, and this has proven to be consistent across robustness tests and adjustments for potential endogeneity. (2) The usage depth and digitization of digital finance play a significant role in reducing CEI. (3) The impact of digital finance on CEI varies across regions and over time. (4) Digital finance influences CEI by reducing energy intensity and altering energy consumption patterns. This study provides valuable insights for policy-makers in terms of enhancing their understanding of the relationship between digital finance and CEI. Consequently, it can guide the formulation of effective policies for carbon reduction and the development of digital finance in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Lu, Fengzhi & Li, Zhongwu & Zhang, Shuai, 2023. "Does digital finance development affect carbon emission intensity: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 1272-1286.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:88:y:2023:i:c:p:1272-1286
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2023.07.036
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056023002460
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2023.07.036?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kim, Dong-Hyeon & Wu, Yi-Chen & Lin, Shu-Chin, 2020. "Carbon dioxide emissions and the finance curse," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    2. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Lean, Hooi Hooi, 2012. "Does financial development increase energy consumption? The role of industrialization and urbanization in Tunisia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 473-479.
    3. Song, Quanyun & Li, Jie & Wu, Yu & Yin, Zhichao, 2020. "Accessibility of financial services and household consumption in China: Evidence from micro data," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    4. Xue, Xinhong & Wang, Zhongcheng, 2021. "Impact of finance pressure on energy intensity: Evidence from China’s manufacturing sectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    5. Chen, Shiyi & Jin, Hao & Lu, Yulin, 2019. "Impact of urbanization on CO2 emissions and energy consumption structure: A panel data analysis for Chinese prefecture-level cities," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 107-119.
    6. Qin, Xiaodi & Wu, Haitao & Li, Rongrong, 2022. "Digital finance and household carbon emissions in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    7. Xu, Qiong & Zhong, Meirui & Li, Xin, 2022. "How does digitalization affect energy? International evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    8. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Nasir, Muhammad Ali & Hille, Erik & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar, 2020. "UK's net-zero carbon emissions target: Investigating the potential role of economic growth, financial development, and R&D expenditures based on historical data (1870–2017)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    9. Combes, Pierre-Philippe & Duranton, Gilles, 2006. "Labour pooling, labour poaching, and spatial clustering," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 1-28, January.
    10. Nathan Nunn & Nancy Qian, 2014. "US Food Aid and Civil Conflict," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(6), pages 1630-1666, June.
    11. 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.
    12. Su, Zhifang & Guo, Qianqian & Lee, Hsiang-Tai, 2022. "Green finance policy and enterprise energy consumption intensity: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    13. Wang, Xiong & Wang, Xiao & Ren, Xiaohang & Wen, Fenghua, 2022. "Can digital financial inclusion affect CO2 emissions of China at the prefecture level? Evidence from a spatial econometric approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    14. Liu, Yang & Luan, Lin & Wu, Weilong & Zhang, Zhiqiang & Hsu, Yen, 2021. "Can digital financial inclusion promote China's economic growth?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Nasir, Muhammad Ali & Roubaud, David, 2018. "Environmental degradation in France: The effects of FDI, financial development, and energy innovations," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 843-857.
    16. Li, Guoxiang & Wu, Haoyue & Jiang, Jieshu & Zong, Qingqing, 2023. "Digital finance and the low-carbon energy transition (LCET) from the perspective of capital-biased technical progress," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    17. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    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. Xie, Qichang & Wang, Dong & Bai, Qianwen, 2024. "“Cooperation” or “competition”: Digital finance enables green technology innovation—a new assessment from dynamic spatial spillover perspectives," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PB), pages 587-601.
    2. Jiang, Nana & Jiang, Wei & Wang, Yanfei & Zhang, Jinning, 2024. "Impact of financial reform on urban resilience: Evidence from the financial reform pilot zones in China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    3. Wang, Wenwen, 2025. "Digital finance and firm green innovation: The role of media and executives," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Peng, Jia-Hui & Wang, Ke-Liang & Cheng, Yun-He & Miao, Zhuang, 2024. "How does digital inclusive finance affect energy justice? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PA).
    5. Haicheng Zhu & Xingyu Qi & Minghao Xu & Jian Su & Zerong Wang, 2025. "Digital finance, industrial structure upgrading, and energy efficiency in China: a provincial-level empirical analysis," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Mingyue Xie & Suning Zhao & Kun Lv, 2024. "The Impact of Green Finance and Financial Technology on Regional Green Energy Technological Innovation Based on the Dual Machine Learning and Spatial Econometric Models," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-27, May.
    7. Wang, Yaqi & Shan, Zidan & Zhang, Shuchen, 2026. "Digital finance development and pricing efficiency of enterprise data assets," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    8. Huang, Chenchen & Lin, Boqiang, 2024. "How digital economy index selection and model uncertainty will affect energy green transition," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    9. Xu, Ting & Xuan, Siyuan & Xuan, Xiaoqin, 2025. "Green finance as a catalyst for energy transition: Green total factor productivity and digital economy," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    10. Zhao, Ruizeng & Sun, Jiasen & Wang, Xinyue, 2024. "Synergistic impact of digital finance and urban agglomeration policy on carbon emission reduction," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    11. Li, Longda, 2024. "The environmental spillovers of buyers' digital transformation: Evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    12. Zhang, Chonghui & Wang, Cong & Jin, Huanhuan & Xu, Mo & Balezentis, Tomas & Agnusdei, Leonardo, 2025. "The impact of green finance on energy transition and carbon emission targets: Exploring the double threshold and spatial spillover effects among the regions," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1-10.
    13. Wei Jiang & Nana Jiang, 2025. "From sustainable development towards resilience: Does digital finance matter in enhancing ecological resilience?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 2535-2552, April.
    14. Wang, Haijun & Du, Xiance & Ge, Chen & Wu, Wanting, 2024. "Does digital credit alleviate household income vulnerability?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    15. Feng, Yanchao & Yan, Tong & Hu, Shilei & Zhang, Zhenhua, 2025. "The impact of digital inclusive finance on household carbon emissions: Empirical evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    16. Zheng, Huanyu & Li, Dian & Cai, Jinyang, 2025. "Driving green innovation: The impact of digital finance on China's transition to clean energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 318(C).
    17. Yu, Mengxuan & An, Ping, 2024. "How much financing China needs to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    18. Li, Yao, 2025. "How does digital financial inclusion affect households’ CO2? Micro-evidence from an emerging country," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    19. Zhang, Qiufeng & Huang, Huan & Chen, Liang & Wang, Yushi, 2025. "How does green finance affect carbon emission intensity? The role of green technology innovation and internet development," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    20. Fu, Huilian & Cai, Jingyi & Xia, Sinan & Zhou, Lianjie, 2025. "Regional financial regulatory intensity and corporate capital misallocation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    21. Marco Traversi & Mariasole Bannò & Emilia Filippi, 2024. "The role of the cultural context in moderating the effect between the presence of women directors and firm environmental innovation," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 3685-3702, September.
    22. Chao Zeng & Shanying Jiang & Fengxiu Zhou, 2024. "Can Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy Promote Regional Green High-Quality Development?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-23, June.
    23. Liu, Jun & Zhao, Weilin & Zhuang, Castiel Chen, 2025. "Going green or losing edge? The impact of government procurement on carbon reduction and firm value in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    24. Liang, Benbo & He, Gailei & Wang, Yuran, 2024. "The digital economy, market integration and environmental gains," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    25. Sodiq Arogundade & Adewale Samuel Hassan, 2025. "Digital economy and environmental quality of African countries: evidence from spatial Durbin model," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(11), pages 28157-28184, November.

    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, Yao, 2025. "How does digital financial inclusion affect households’ CO2? Micro-evidence from an emerging country," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    2. Xie, Qichang & Ma, Di & Raza, Muhammad Yousaf & Tang, Songlin & Bai, Dingchuan, 2023. "Toward carbon peaking and neutralization: The heterogeneous stochastic convergence of CO2 emissions and the role of digital inclusive finance," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    3. Qian Zhou & Zhipeng Qi, 2025. "How does digital inclusion finance alleviate air pollution? Spatial evidence from 1318 counties in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(12), pages 29315-29344, December.
    4. Zhao, Ruizeng & An, Yuchen & Tu, Hanyun & Song, Jiashan, 2024. "China's economic growth and low-carbon development under the background of resource curse: A new perspective based on digital finance," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA).
    5. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Tang, Manting & Lee, Chi-Chuan, 2023. "Reaping digital dividends: Digital inclusive finance and high-quality development of enterprises in China," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(2).
    6. Shen, Hongshan & Qin, Mengyao & Li, Tianyi & Zhang, Xuan & Zhao, Yang, 2024. "Digital finance and industrial structure upgrading: Evidence from Chinese counties," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    7. Cheng, Xiaoqiang & Yao, Dingjun & Qian, Yuanyuan & Wang, Bin & Zhang, Deliang, 2023. "How does fintech influence carbon emissions: Evidence from China's prefecture-level cities," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    8. Li, Wenwen & Alharbi, Samar S. & Cao, June & Li, Wanfu, 2025. "Blessing or curse? Fintech adoption and greenhouse gas emission intensity," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    9. Shuhao Zhang & Xuetong Li & Daqian Shi, 2025. "How does digital finance affect energy consumption in China? Empirical evidence from China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(5), pages 10719-10735, May.
    10. Arminen, Heli & Menegaki, Angeliki N., 2019. "Corruption, climate and the energy-environment-growth nexus," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 621-634.
    11. Muhammad Zubair Chishti & Arshian Sharif & Qi Xu & Gagan Deep Sharma, 2024. "Toward sustainable development: Revealing the dynamic impacts of the belt and road initiative on energy transition," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 7069-7095, December.
    12. Hu, Debao & Lei, Yutian & Zhai, Chenzhe & Liu, Jiaxin, 2025. "Does digital finance affect energy consumption structure upgrading? Evidence from Chinese rural households," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(PA).
    13. Dong-Hyeon Kim & Yi-Chen Wu & Shu-Chin Lin, 2022. "Carbon dioxide emissions, financial development and political institutions," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 837-874, May.
    14. MBASSI, Christophe Martial & HYOBA, Suzanne Edwige Clarisse & SHAHBAZ, Muhammad, 2023. "Does monetary policy really matter for environmental protection? The case of inflation targeting," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 427-452.
    15. Wang, Jianqiu & Yin, Zhichao & Jiang, Jialing, 2023. "The effect of the digital divide on household consumption in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    16. Xue, Yan & Hu, Dongmei & Irfan, Muhammad & Wu, Haitao & Hao, Yu, 2023. "Natural resources policy making through finance? The role of green finance on energy resources poverty," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    17. Ya Wu & Yin Liu & Minglong Zhang, 2023. "How Does Digital Finance Affect Energy Efficiency?—Characteristics, Mechanisms, and Spatial Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-24, April.
    18. Furkan Ahmad & Ameni Boumaiza & Antonio Sanfilippo & Luluwah Al‐Fagih, 2025. "Navigating the Impact, Challenges and Future Prospects of Carbon Neutrality Under Green Finance Initiatives," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(S1), pages 1395-1436, November.
    19. Wang, Hao & Luo, Qi, 2022. "Can a colonial legacy explain the pollution haven hypothesis? A city-level panel analysis," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 482-495.
    20. Lahiani, Amine & Mefteh-Wali, Salma & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2021. "Does financial development influence renewable energy consumption to achieve carbon neutrality in the USA?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:reveco:v:88:y:2023:i:c:p:1272-1286. 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/inca/620165 .

    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.