Technology Innovation and Environmental Mountains: An Empirical Study in China's Inland River Regions

Abstract

Zhang, Y.; Chen, S., and Wang, S., 2020. Technology innovation and environmental mountains: An empirical study in China's inland river regions. In: Gong, D.; Zhang, M., and Liu, R. (eds.), Advances in Coastal Research: Engineering, Industry, Economy, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 106, pp. 171–176. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.As the country's grand strategy, the rise of central China requires a certain industrial structure. To a large extent, the development of industry is the only way to achieve the rise of central China. However, the drastic increase in water pollution and air pollution that accompany the rapid development of the inland river region in the Chinese industry seems to be able to prove that industrial development is an important factor in causing environmental pollution. Is it possible for industrial development to co-exist with environmental protection? This paper empirically analyzes the impact of technological innovation and industrial development on environmental pollution in the inland river region in China from 2004 to 2016. The research results show that an inverted U-shaped of a nonlinear relationship occurs between the synergistic effect of industrial development and technological innovation and environmental pollution. Through the judgment of the development stage, the inland river region in China has now crossed the environmental mountains, and it is in the critical period of the integration of industrial development and environmental protection.