IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i2p2118-2136.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fintech and urban environmental sustainability: Exploring the impact of financial technology on urban carbon emissions

Author

Listed:
  • Rongrong Li
  • Siqi Zhang
  • Qiang Wang
  • Sailan Hu

Abstract

The rapid growth of financial technology (fintech) in China has obtained considerable attention, especially in terms of its effects on carbon emissions. Investigating the link between fintech advancement and emissions is essential for promoting sustainable urban development. This research utilizes panel data from 286 Chinese cities spanning 2000–2021, employing a fixed‐effects model to evaluate fintech's influence on carbon emissions. Additionally, a threshold model is applied to examine how different levels of research expenditure, environmental greening, and fixed asset investment modify this relationship. The results reveal that: (i) fintech expansion is linked to reduced carbon emissions; (ii) threshold effects are significant, with research investment, environmental greening, and fixed asset investment influencing the impact of fintech on emissions. More specifically, the reduction in emissions driven by fintech is strengthened by higher research investment, enhanced environmental greening, and increased fixed asset investment. The study concludes with policy suggestions, emphasizing the need to improve fintech infrastructure, elevate research funding, and focus on environmental greening programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Rongrong Li & Siqi Zhang & Qiang Wang & Sailan Hu, 2025. "Fintech and urban environmental sustainability: Exploring the impact of financial technology on urban carbon emissions," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 2118-2136, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:2:p:2118-2136
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3212
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3212
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.3212?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhu, Yi & Lin, Yangyi & Tan, Yanyu & Liu, Bin & Wang, Hao, 2024. "The potential nexus between fintech and energy consumption: A new perspective on natural resource consumption," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    2. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    3. Robert G. King & Ross Levine, 1993. "Finance and Growth: Schumpeter Might Be Right," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(3), pages 717-737.
    4. Xingcun Fang & Mengting Wei & Wei-Chiao Huang, 2023. "Mechanism and Empirical Evidence of Green Taxation Influencing Carbon Emissions in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-22, October.
    5. Aytun, Cengiz & Erdogan, Sinan & Pata, Ugur Korkut & Cengiz, Orhan, 2024. "Associating environmental quality, human capital, financial development and technological innovation in 19 middle-income countries: A disaggregated ecological footprint approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Frank Antwi & Yusheng Kong, 2023. "Investigating the impacts of digital finance technology on financial stability of the banking sector: New insights from developing market economies," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(3), pages 2284738-228, December.
    7. Bruce E. Hansen, 2000. "Sample Splitting and Threshold Estimation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 68(3), pages 575-604, May.
    8. Lv, Chengchao & Song, Jie & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "Can digital finance narrow the regional disparities in the quality of economic growth? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 502-521.
    9. Yanyu Chen & E. Kusuma kumara & V. Sivakumar, 2023. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Investigation of finance industry on risk awareness model and digital economic growth," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 326(1), pages 15-15, July.
    10. 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.
    11. Zhang, Wei & Liu, Xuemeng & Wang, Die & Zhou, Jianping, 2022. "Digital economy and carbon emission performance: Evidence at China's city level," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    12. Im, Kyung So & Pesaran, M. Hashem & Shin, Yongcheol, 2003. "Testing for unit roots in heterogeneous panels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 53-74, July.
    13. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Fuhao, 2022. "How does digital inclusive finance affect carbon intensity?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 174-190.
    14. Xiuxiu Jiang & Xia Wang & Jia Ren & Zhimin Xie, 2021. "The Nexus between Digital Finance and Economic Development: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-17, June.
    15. Mohsin, Muhammad & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad & Panthamit, Nisit & Anwar, Saba & Abbas, Qaiser & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2021. "Developing Low Carbon Finance Index: Evidence From Developed and Developing Economies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    16. 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).
    17. Omri, Anis & Daly, Saida & Rault, Christophe & Chaibi, Anissa, 2015. "Financial development, environmental quality, trade and economic growth: What causes what in MENA countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 242-252.
    18. Xin Zhao & Ramzi Benkraiem & Mohammad Zoynul Abedin & Silu Zhou, 2024. "The charm of green finance: Can green finance reduce corporate carbon emissions?," Post-Print hal-04925274, HAL.
    19. Hansen, Bruce E, 1996. "Inference When a Nuisance Parameter Is Not Identified under the Null Hypothesis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(2), pages 413-430, March.
    20. Liu, Ying & Lin, Boqiang & Xu, Bin, 2021. "Modeling the impact of energy abundance on economic growth and CO2 emissions by quantile regression: Evidence from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    21. Tian-Tian Zhu & Hua-Rong Peng & Yue-Jun Zhang & Jing-Yue Liu, 2021. "Does higher education development facilitate carbon emissions reduction in China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(47), pages 5490-5502, October.
    22. Xu, Jie & Chen, Fu & Zhang, Weiwei & Liu, Yiting & Li, Tingting, 2023. "Analysis of the carbon emission reduction effect of Fintech and the transmission channel of green finance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    23. Sharif, Arshian & Raza, Syed Ali & Ozturk, Ilhan & Afshan, Sahar, 2019. "The dynamic relationship of renewable and nonrenewable energy consumption with carbon emission: A global study with the application of heterogeneous panel estimations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 685-691.
    24. 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).
    25. Qiang Wang & Yuanfan Li & Rongrong Li, 2024. "Ecological footprints, carbon emissions, and energy transitions: the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    26. 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.
    27. Sadorsky, Perry, 2010. "The impact of financial development on energy consumption in emerging economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 2528-2535, May.
    28. Huang, Junbing & Du, Dan & Tao, Qizhi, 2017. "An analysis of technological factors and energy intensity in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 1-9.
    29. Kangyu Ren & Yuan Wang & Lulu Liu, 2023. "Impact of Traditional and Digital Financial Inclusion on Enterprise Innovation: Evidence from China," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440221, January.
    30. 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.
    31. Mahmood Ahmad & Abdul Majeed & Muhammad Asif Khan & Muhammad Sohaib & Khurram Shehzad, 2021. "Digital financial inclusion and economic growth: provincial data analysis of China," China Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 291-310, September.
    32. Habiba, Umme & Xinbang, Cao & Anwar, Ahsan, 2022. "Do green technology innovations, financial development, and renewable energy use help to curb carbon emissions?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 1082-1093.
    33. Stern, David I. & Common, Michael S. & Barbier, Edward B., 1996. "Economic growth and environmental degradation: The environmental Kuznets curve and sustainable development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 24(7), pages 1151-1160, July.
    34. Palmié, Maximilian & Wincent, Joakim & Parida, Vinit & Caglar, Umur, 2020. "The evolution of the financial technology ecosystem: An introduction and agenda for future research on disruptive innovations in ecosystems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    35. Fan, Jingjing & Wang, Jianliang & Qiu, Jixiang & Li, Nu, 2023. "Stage effects of energy consumption and carbon emissions in the process of urbanization: Evidence from 30 provinces in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    36. Qiang Wang & Yuanfan Li & Rongrong Li, 2024. "Rethinking the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis across 214 countries: the impacts of 12 economic, institutional, technological, resource, and social factors," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    37. Levin, Andrew & Lin, Chien-Fu & James Chu, Chia-Shang, 2002. "Unit root tests in panel data: asymptotic and finite-sample properties," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 1-24, May.
    38. Feng, Suling & Zhang, Rong & Li, Guoxiang, 2022. "Environmental decentralization, digital finance and green technology innovation," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 70-83.
    39. Huwei Wen & Yutong Liu, 2023. "Can Fintech Lead to the Collaborative Reduction in Pollution Discharges and Carbon Emissions?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-19, July.
    40. Zhao, Xin & Benkraiem, Ramzi & Abedin, Mohammad Zoynul & Zhou, Silu, 2024. "The charm of green finance: Can green finance reduce corporate carbon emissions?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Qiang Wang & Ting Yang & Rongrong Li & Xiaowei Wang, 2023. "Reexamining the impact of foreign direct investment on carbon emissions: does per capita GDP matter?," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Iftikhar Yasin & Nawaz Ahmad & M. Aslam Chaudhary, 2020. "Catechizing the Environmental-Impression of Urbanization, Financial Development, and Political Institutions: A Circumstance of Ecological Footprints in 110 Developed and Less-Developed Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 621-649, January.
    3. Acheampong, Alex O., 2019. "Modelling for insight: Does financial development improve environmental quality?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 156-179.
    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. Rongrong Li & Zhuang Yang & Qiang Wang, 2025. "Does renewable energy reduce energy intensity? A matter of income inequality," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    6. Zhi Su & Ruijie Cao, 2023. "Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Urban Carbon Emission Intensity: From the Perspective of Green and Low-Carbon Travel and Clean Energy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-16, August.
    7. Neophyta Empora, 2017. "Air pollution spillovers and U.S. state productivity growth," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 06-2017, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    8. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2022. "Renewable energy and CO2 emissions: New evidence with the panel threshold model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 117-128.
    9. Taner Akan & Halil İbrahim Gündüz & Tara Vanlı & Ahmet Baran Zeren & Ali Haydar Işık & Tamerlan Mashadihasanli, 2023. "Why are some countries cleaner than others? New evidence from macroeconomic governance," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6167-6223, July.
    10. Acheampong, Alex O. & Said, Rabie, 2024. "Financial inclusion and the global net-zero emissions agenda: Does governance quality matter?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    11. 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).
    12. Lin, Boqiang & Okoye, Jude O., 2023. "Towards renewable energy generation and low greenhouse gas emission in high-income countries: Performance of financial development and governance," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    13. Samargandi, Nahla & Fidrmuc, Jan & Ghosh, Sugata, 2015. "Is the Relationship Between Financial Development and Economic Growth Monotonic? Evidence from a Sample of Middle-Income Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 66-81.
    14. Wilman-Santiago Ochoa-Moreno & Byron Alejandro Quito & Carlos Andrés Moreno-Hurtado, 2021. "Foreign Direct Investment and Environmental Quality: Revisiting the EKC in Latin American Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-18, November.
    15. Song, Xiaoling & Yao, Yumeng & Wu, Xueke, 2023. "Digital finance, technological innovation, and carbon dioxide emissions," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 482-494.
    16. Saqib, Najia & Ozturk, Ilhan & Sharif, Arshian & Cichoń, Dariusz, 2024. "Enhancing sustainable energy: Mineral exports, financial development, and foreign investment can build a greener future?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    17. Arminen, Heli & Menegaki, Angeliki N., 2019. "Corruption, climate and the energy-environment-growth nexus," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 621-634.
    18. Octavio Fernández-Amador & Joseph F. Francois & Doris A. Oberdabernig & Patrick Tomberger, 2020. "Economic growth, sectoral structures, and environmental methane footprints," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(13), pages 1460-1475, March.
    19. Luzzati, T. & Orsini, M., 2009. "Investigating the energy-environmental Kuznets curve," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 291-300.
    20. Xiaoxia Shi & Haiyun Liu & Joshua Sunday Riti, 2019. "The role of energy mix and financial development in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions’ reduction: evidence from ten leading CO2 emitting countries," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 36(3), pages 695-729, October.

    More about this item

    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:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:2:p:2118-2136. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    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.