The internal mechanism and impact of digital economy on China's smog pollution: based on the perspective of industrial structure coordination

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study adopts an industrial structure coordination perspective to elucidate the theoretical mechanism through which digital economy (DE) development influences smog pollution (SP), and employs panel data encompassing 214 cities at the prefecture level and above in China over the period 2010–2019 to empirically examine this relationship. The findings reveal the following: (1) Industrial structure rationalisation (ISR) and advancement (ISA) positively contribute to the nexus between DE and governance in SP. Nevertheless, ISR stands amenable for refinement. (2) Despite regional variations in economic development planning and competitive investment behaviours, DE consistently hampers the SP of adjacent cities, contingent on diverse geographical weights. (3) Augmentation in science and technology expenditure and human capital levels enhances the environmental governance effect of the DE.