The Effect of Government Environmental Auditing on the Efficiency of Green Development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt under the Background of Big Data

Abstract

The issue of environmental pollution has grown more noticeable due to the rapid expansion of our country's economy. The urgent demand for sustainable growth and the protection of ecological environment has arisen. In such a context, the role of governmental environmental audits is of utmost importance. This article is based on the background of the big data, from a variety of vantage points, this paper investigates the mechanisms and direct effects of government environmental assessments on green development efficacy in 108 localities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). The study's results signify the following: (1) Government environmental evaluations substantially increase green development efficacy, even when no other control variables are taken into account. (2) The principal factors that impact such efficiency in the YREB are industrial structure upgrading and local government competition. (3) Robust tests conducted through variable substitution, estimation method replacement, and sample period alteration consistently yield significant results. This research holds significant implications for expanding the research perspective on governmental environmental audits, addressing ecological environmental issues, promoting high-quality green growth in the YREB, and achieving sustainable growth.