Evaluating the Synergistic effect of digital economy and government governance efficiency on urban low-carbon transition

Abstract

The digital economy has triggered a comprehensive green transformation, bringing a new perspective to urban environmental governance and low-carbon transformation. However, prior studies have not assessed the synergy between the digital economy and government governance efficiency on urban low-carbon transformation. we measure the digital economy and carbon emission intensity of 253 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2019 and establish a fixed effects model to study the panel data. The findings demonstrate that: (1) the digital economy can support the transition to low-carbon cities, a conclusion that holds through multiple robustness tests; (2) by enhancing labor productivity, encouraging green technological innovation, and updating industrial structures, the digital economy can indirectly support urban low-carbon transition; (3) it is worth noting that digital economy synergizes with government governance efficiency to promote the urban low-carbon transformation; (4) the heterogeneity analysis outcomes reveal that first-tier cities, core cities, and cities in the central and western regions experience a more efficient low-carbon transition. This study provides empirical evidence and some constructive policy recommendations for the government and the market to promote urban low-carbon development collaboratively.