Digital Economy Development and Haze Pollution: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Cities

Abstract

Abstract The development of the digital economy radiates to national ecological protection and resource utilisation, holding the key to haze governance. Firstly, this paper examines whether the development of digital economy in China has a restraining effect on haze pollution. Secondly, the article verifies the robustness of the research results through the instrumental variable method and quasi-natural experiment. Finally, the paper examines the potential transmission channels of haze pollution affected by the digital economy. Results show the digital economy negatively affects urban haze pollution in China. Specifically, in resource-based, non-resource-based, eastern and large cities, the growth of the digital economy has an obvious repression on haze pollution. The establishment of the "national big data comprehensive experimental area" is conducive to the control of haze pollution. Finally, the results reveal that the development of the digital economy significantly reduces haze pollution through economic growth, industrial structure and foreign direct investment effects.