数字经济发展改善了城市空气质量吗——基于国家级大数据综合试验区的准自然实验

Does Digital Economy Improve Urban Air Quality:Quasi Natural Experiment Based on National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone

建设数字中国与实现绿水青山都是推动新时代经济高质量发展的重要战略举措。利用2005—2019年中国283个城市的面板数据,在环境库兹涅茨曲线理论的框架下,基于国家级大数据综合试验区这一准自然实验,运用多期DID和PSM-DID方法,评估以数据要素为核心的数字经济发展对城市空气质量的影响。研究结果表明:数字经济发展对城市空气质量的改善作用显著,且减排效应呈厚积薄发的特征;异质性研究表明,数字经济对秦岭—淮河一线以北的城市空气质量具有更强的影响效应,且在较大规模、高互联网发展水平以及低财政支出水平的城市其减排效应更加明显;机制检验表明,数字经济通过推动产业升级、促进技术创新以及优化资源配置改善了城市空气质量;进一步研究表明,数字经济的发展不仅推动了本地空气质量的改善,而且对降低相邻城市的空气污染也具有激励作用。因此,要进一步推动大数据试验区建设,提升该政策战略执行的包容性和灵活度,同时完善信息基础设施建设,以充分发挥数字经济对城市空气质量的改善作用。

Building a digital China and achieving clear waters and green mountains is important strategic measures to promote high-quality economic development in the new era. Based on the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2005 to 2019, and the quasi-natural experiment of National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone, multi-stage DID and PSM-DID methods were employed to evaluate the impact of digital economy development on urban air quality with data elements as the core. The results show that the development of digital economy plays a significant role in improving urban air quality, and the emission reduction effect is increasingly significant. Heterogeneity study shows that digital economy has a stronger impact on air quality in cities north of the Qinling-Huaihe River line, and the emission reduction effect is more significant in cities with large scale, high level of Internet development and low level of fiscal expenditure. Mechanism test indicates that digital economy improves urban air quality by promoting industrial upgrading, technological innovation and optimizing resource allocation. Further research shows that the development of digital economy not only promotes the improvement of local air quality, but also has an incentive effect on reducing air pollution in neighboring cities.