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New way out of efficiency-equity dilemma: Digital technology empowerment for local government environmental governance

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  • Wang, Hongli
  • Guo, Jinguang

Abstract

Getting out of the dilemma of incompatibility between efficiency and equity is an important goal of local government to modernize their environmental governance. Based on the theory of public value management, this paper constructs an analytical framework for digital technology enabled government environmental governance under the perspectives of efficiency, equity and coupling of the two, then empirically examines the impact and mechanism. The results show that digital technology can enhance efficiency and equity of local government environmental governance. Meanwhile, digital technology is an effective way to solve conflict between efficiency and equity values, but its green effect may be weakened in the short term due to uncertainty risks of internet. Education can strengthen green effect of digital technology, and digital dividend is especially beneficial when years of education has reached a certain threshold. In addition, there are heterogeneity and spatial correlation in digital technology to improve local government environmental governance. Finally, the results of mechanism test show that digital technology realizes enabling effect through three paths: industrial structure optimization effect, social public participation effect and innovation and entrepreneurship effect. The findings of this paper enrich research literatures on government environmental governance empowered by digital technology, and also provide useful references for formulation and implementation of government environmental policies under the new development pattern.

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  • Wang, Hongli & Guo, Jinguang, 2024. "New way out of efficiency-equity dilemma: Digital technology empowerment for local government environmental governance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:200:y:2024:i:c:s0040162523008697
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123184
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    3. Jiangang Huang & Xinya Chen & Xing Zhao, 2024. "How Digital Technology Reduces Carbon Emissions: From the Perspective of Green Innovation, Industry Upgrading, and Energy Transition," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(4), pages 19294-19326, December.
    4. Feng, Yanchao & Liu, Gaoxiang & Meng, Xiangxu & Jiang, Kai & Huang, Rongbing & Zhang, Ci & Shi, Jiaxin & Pan, Yuxi, 2024. "How does digital government affect carbon intensity at the global level? New perspective of resource allocation optimization," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    5. Tan, Weijie & Zhang, Zihan & Chu, Zhongzhu & Chen, Pengyu, 2024. "Unlocking green potential: The digital government-driven revolution in corporate green innovation," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 60-79.
    6. Hao, Xiaoli & Miao, Erxiang & Sun, Qingyu & Li, Ke & Wen, Shufang & Xue, Yan, 2024. "The impact of digital government on corporate green innovation: Evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    7. Yan Song & Lu Zhang & Xueying Dong & Ming Zhang, 2025. "Can environmental regulation foster incremental enhancement and quality improvement in green technological innovation under the background of the digital development?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(11), pages 27781-27797, November.
    8. Cao, Zengmin & Lu, Jian & Sun, Ruiqi, 2025. "Digital government and corporate green innovation: Evidence from “internet + government services” in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    9. Gabriella Esposito & Cristina Caterina Amitrano & Ciro Troise & Dorra Yahiaoui, 2026. "Conceptualising governance pathways for digital entrepreneurial ecosystems: A Nested-Cyclical framework," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-21, March.
    10. Zhao, Yukun & Zhou, Yi & Yang, Qingfu & Gong, Yiyun, 2025. "Technology empowerment, digital transformation, and enhancing corporate ESG performance," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

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