Has the National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone promoted Chinese-style ecological modernization?

Abstract

Abstract Chinese-style modernization entails the harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature, with a pivotal emphasis on promoting green development and elevating ecological standards. National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone (NIIDZ), serving as the government's "testing ground" for the implementation of green and innovation development strategies, holds significant importance in enhancing the ecological profile of the region. The entropy method is employed to gauge the Chinese-style ecological modernization level across 277 cities in China from 2006 to 2020.Subsequently, as a quasi-natural experiment, this study empirically examines the impact of NIIDZ on the Chinese-style ecological modernization level, employing a multi-period DID method to uncover the internal mechanisms. The findings indicate that the NIIDZ significantly boosts the level of Chinese-style ecological modernization. Mechanism analysis reveals that the pilot policy achieves this enhancement through the R&D innovation, the energy efficiency forcing and the scale agglomeration effects. Notably, the upgrading effect of NIIDZ on the Chinese-style ecological modernization is particularly pronounced in cities with a general administrative status and non-resource-based cities. This study offers policy insights for advancing ecological modernization in China.