数字技术应用与能源效率提升:来自中国城市层面的经验证据

Digital Technology Application and Energy Efficiency Improvement:Empirical Evidence from China’s Urban Level

能源效率提升是落实“双碳”目标的关键,而数字技术应用则为能源效率提升提供了重要动力。本文从理论上分析了数字技术应用对能源效率的影响,并基于中国271个城市2011—2020年面板数据构建数字技术应用指数,实证检验了二者的动态相关性及作用机理。研究发现:数字技术应用能够显著提升能源效率,并且对于周边地区能源效率同样具有积极的提升效应;作用机制分析显示,数字技术应用对能源效率的提升效应主要源于产业结构升级和技术创新机制;进一步分析表明,数字技术应用对能源效率的提升效应存在典型的异质特征,且在时空维度上存在动态变化特征。基于上述发现,本文从建设数字化生态、提供制度保障以及采取因地制宜的数字技术发展战略等方面提出了相应政策建议。

Energy efficiency is the key to the implementation of dual carbon goal,and digital technology application provides an important impetus for energy efficiency improvement.This paper theoretically analyzes the impact of digital technology application on energy efficiency,and constructs a digital technology application index based on the panel data of 271 cities in China from 2011 to 2020,and empirically tests the dynamic correlation and mechanism.The results show that digital technology applicationcan significantly improve energy efficiency,and has positive effect on energy efficiency of surrounding areas.The mechanism analysis shows that the improvement effect of digital technology application on energy efficiency is mainly due to the upgrading of industrial structure and technological innovation mechanism.Further analysis shows that the improvement effect of digital technology application on energy efficiency has typical heterogeneous characteristics and dynamic changes in spatio-temporal dimension.Based on the above findings,this paper puts forward corresponding policy suggestions from the aspects of building digital ecology,providing institutional guarantee and adopting digital technology development strategy according to local conditions.