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Can Environmental Regulation Improve High-Quality Economic Development in China? The Mediating Effects of Digital Economy

Author

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  • Jun Wang

    (College of Urban Economics and Public Administration, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China
    Beijing Key Laboratory of Megaregions Sustainable Development Simulation, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China)

  • Guixiang Zhang

    (College of Urban Economics and Public Administration, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China
    Beijing Key Laboratory of Megaregions Sustainable Development Simulation, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China)

Abstract

Environmental regulation is an effective environmental policy tool, which can balance the interests of the government, enterprises, and the public and can effectively address the internalization of environmental externalities. The digital economy has emerged as a brand-new force for the advancement of high-quality economic development. In order to successfully come true to high-quality economic development based on coordinated development of environmental protection and economic growth, the primary objective of this paper is to investigate whether environmental regulation promotes high-quality economic development from a digital economy perspective. This paper empirically analyzed the impact of environmental regulation on high-quality economic development in 236 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2019, using the mediation effect model, threshold regression model, and spatial Durbin model. The results demonstrated that environmental regulation has a significant positive effect on the general high-quality economic development. Specifically, formal environmental regulation has a positive nonlinear effect with decreasing marginal effect on high-quality economic development, whereas informal environmental regulation has a positive nonlinear effect with increasing marginal effects. The digital economy is an important path for environmental regulation to strengthen high-quality economic development. Environmental regulation and the digital economy jointly promote high-quality economic development. In spatial effects, formal environmental regulation has a negative spatial spillover effect on high-quality economic development, whereas informal environmental regulation has a positive spatial spillover effect. Based on these conclusions, it is proposed that the government should actively develop and strengthen the interaction mechanism between formal and informal environmental regulation, enhance the integration of digital platforms and environmental regulation, and develop a coordinated development mechanism for the environment and economy across regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jun Wang & Guixiang Zhang, 2022. "Can Environmental Regulation Improve High-Quality Economic Development in China? The Mediating Effects of Digital Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12143-:d:924983
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Li Li & Yifan Dou & Xin Cao & Wenli Ding, 2025. "The Impact of Digital Divide on the Level of High-Quality Economic Development: Evidence from China-ASEAN," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(2), pages 7235-7249, June.
    2. Xiao Han & Yining Chen & Hehua Zhao, 2023. "Temporal–Spatial Evolution, Influencing Factors, and Driving Mechanisms of Environmental Regulation Performance Disparities: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-26, July.
    3. Rong Xu & Huixian Yao & Junfeng Li, 2025. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Digital Economy’s Impact on High-Quality Economic Growth: a Comprehensive Analysis in the Context of China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 2861-2879, March.
    4. 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.
    5. Wenjun Ge & Siyuan Wu & Derong Yang, 2024. "Who are the genuine contributors to economic development under environmental regulation? Evidence from total factor productivity in the three industries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 22801-22838, September.
    6. Lifang Zhang & Yuexu Zhao, 2023. "Research on the Coupling Coordination of Green Finance, Digital Economy, and Ecological Environment in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, May.

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