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The green transformation of the manufacturing industry is an important segment in high-quality development, and the vigorous development of the digital economy has provided a new impetus. Taking the balanced panel data of 277 cities in China from 2011 to 2021 as the sample, this study used the super-efficient SBM model containing unexpected output to measure the effects of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry at the city level, measured the digital economy index at the city level based on the entropy weight method, and then used the general nesting spatial model to empirically analyze the impact of the digital economy on the green transformation of the manufacturing industry. After drawing the basic conclusions, this study further applied the mediation effect model and the two-zone spatial econometric model to analyze the mediation and moderation factors of the digital economy on the green transformation of the manufacturing industry. The results indicated that: (1) The green transformation of manufacturing industry among Chinese cities presented a spatial clustering feature, specifically manifested as the siphon effect, which means that the green transformation of manufacturing industry in a city was not conducive to the green transformation of manufacturing industry in its surrounding cities. (2) The digital economy not only significantly promoted the green transformation of the manufacturing industry in this city, but also in the surrounding cities. This conclusion remained valid after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests. (3) Mediation analysis found that the promotion of the digital economy in the green transformation of the manufacturing industry occurred through three channels: promoting green technology innovation, optimizing resource allocation efficiency, and improving green credit. (4) Moderation analysis indicated that the relationship between the digital economy and the green transformation of the manufacturing industry was affected by energy efficiency, and lower energy efficiency weakened the role of the digital economy. Compared to existing research, this study improves the theoretical mechanism of the digital economy-manufacturing green transformation relationship from the perspectives of resources and credit and explores the moderation factors in this relationship from the energy perspective. The spatial econometric model in this study also comprehensively considers the spatial correlation caused by geographical and economic factors, which is progress compared to previous studies that only considered geographical spatial correlation. Based on the research results, this study proposes relevant implications to accelerate the development of the digital economy, improve energy efficiency, accelerate green technology innovation, improve resource allocation efficiency, and optimize green credit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the green economic effects of digital economy development from the dual perspective of reducing urban pollution emissions and improving urban energy efficiency is in line with the requirements of the times for a Chinese path to modernization. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal patterns of digital economy development in China based on panel data from 280 Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above from 2011 to 2019 using ArcGIS spatial analysis and adopted the fixed effects model, the difference-indifferences model, and the spatial Durbin model to test the ‘emission reduction’ and ‘efficiency enhancement’ effects of digital economy development. The results showed that: ① China’ s digital economy development as a whole showed an incremental trend, and the regional development gap was narrowing. In terms of spatial evolution pattern, the development pattern of advance zones evolved from sporadic distribution to multi-point coverage, and the number of promotion areas distributed around the advance areas gradually increased, forming a group development pattern with the advance areas. ② The development of the digital economy was conducive to reducing about 4% of urban pollution emissions and improving about 9% of urban energy efficiency, and this conclusion still held after a series of robustness tests and endogeneity discussions. ③ The impact of digital economy development on ‘emission reduction’ and ‘efficiency enhancement’ differed by geographical location, administrative level, and resource endowment. Among them, the digital economy development in the eastern region only enhanced efficiency but did not reduce emissions, while the digital economy development in non-eastern regions, central cities, and non-resource-based cities both reduced emissions and enhanced efficiency. ④ Industrial structure upgrading was the intermediary mechanism for ‘emission reduction’ and ‘efficiency enhancement’ of digital economy development, while human capital was only the intermediary mechanism for ‘efficiency enhancement’ of digital economy development. ⑤ The digital economy development was conducive to ‘emission reduction’ and ‘efficiency enhancement’ in a region, but through the spatial spillover effect on neighboring regions, only ‘efficiency enhancement,’ not ‘emission reduction’ was achieved. This study suggests that we should continue to strengthen the foundation of digital economy development. While being alert to the development gap between regions, we should try to improve the data element resource system, focus on cultivating versatile talents, and promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, so as to help the region form a synergy for digital economy development and achieve the ‘winwin’ goal of reducing pollution emissions and improving energy efficiency for the whole society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy-consuming right trading system is a market-oriented environmental regulation policy based on source control in China, the implementation of which aims to help the realization of the goal of controlling total energy consumption and energy intensity and to promote green development. Based on the panel data of prefecture-level cities from 2012 to 2019, this article theoretically analyzed the mechanism of the action of the energy-consuming right trading system; applied the multi-period PSM-DID method to empirically test whether the energy-consuming right trading system had achieved win-win development for both the environment and the economy; and tested the robustness of the findings by replacing variable settings, adding control variables, and applying placebo tests. In addition, the short-term and long-term impact paths of the environmental and economic effects of the energy-consuming right trading system are theoretically analyzed and empirically tested respectively. The findings were as follows: (1) The implementation of the energy-consuming right trading system effectively reduced the total emission and emission intensity of energy pollutants and realized positive benefit for the environment. Besides, the reduction in emission intensity was more significant. (2) The energy-consuming right trading system not only increased the quantity of economic development, but also pulled up the economic growth rate, thus realizing a positive benefit to the economy. (3) The results of the dynamic effect analysis showed that the energy-consuming right trading system did not have a persistent effect on the total amount and intensity of pollution emissions. But it had a more significant and persistent effect on the rate and level of economic development. (4) Since the energy-consuming right trading system was in the early pilot stage, it mainly achieved environmental and economic dividends through the short-term path of improving energy efficiency and not the long-term path of industrial structure upgrading or energy structure adjustment. Based on this, we should further build and improve the energy-consuming right trading market and improve the design of the system to ensure standardization, convenience, and transparency during the operation and enhance the degree of marketization. It is also of great importance to accelerate the development of new energy, new technologies, and new industries to promote green transformation and decarbonization in the energy industry. Furthermore, we should build a comprehensive and coordinated environmental policy system by promoting the coordinated implementation of the energy-consuming right trading system with other environmental regulation policies based on emission control, realizing the benefits of ' 1 + 1 >2.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract：Existing studies have analyzed the impact of industrial transfer demonstration zones from the aspects of economic development, industrial upgrading, urbanization and pollution, while few literature has dealt with the impact of the industrial transfer demonstration zone policy on energy efficiency. This paper focused on the impact of industrial transfer demonstration zones on energy efficiency and their mechanism. Based on the panel data of 281 prefecture level cities in China from 2004 to 2017 and the framework of Schumpeter’s innovation theory, this paper used the difference-in-differences method to study the impact of industrial transfer demonstration zone construction on total factor energy efficiency. The results showed that:（1） The industrial transfer demonstration zones could improve the energy efficiency by about 12%, and the conclusion was still robust after a series of robustness tests.（2） Mechanism analysis showed that, as an innovative mode of urban industrial development, industrial transfer demonstration zones improved energy efficiency mainly through technical effect and structural effect.（3） The heterogeneity analysis of city scale showed that the larger the city scale, the stronger the role of demonstration zones in the improvement of energy efficiency; the heterogeneity of city features showed that the higher the level of urban informatization and foreign investment, the stronger the role of demonstration zones in the improvement of energy efficiency.（4） Based on the analysis of the development characteristics of the industrial transfer demonstration zones, the results showed that the larger the scale of industrial transfer demonstration zones, the stronger the role of industrial transfer demonstration zones in the improvement of energy efficiency. This paper has important reference value and significance for China to further adjust and implement the industrial transfer policy, balance the domestic regional economic development, and promote the improvement of total factor energy efficiency in the central and western cities. The direct policy implication suggests that we should strengthen the implementation and incentive, reduce the regional development differences, optimize the upgrading of industrial structure, and promote the economic development. We should also pay attention to the role of technological innovation, develop and improve the intelligent detection system, enhance the role of clean energy alternatives, improve the efficiency of resource utilization, build information platforms, and improve the infrastructure construction of the demonstration zones. Furthermore, the level of opening up should be updated and the candidate enterprises and foreign investment should be strictly screened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant imbalance in the distribution of energy in China. With the continuous exploitation of energy and the adjustment of the national energy layout, energy production capacity is rapidly showing a trend of spatial accumulation. In the context of dramatic changes in the world energy landscape and global environment deterioration, studying the mechanism and effects of spatial agglomeration of energy production capacity on regional energy efficiency can provide useful guidance for China in formulating relevant energy policies and energy strategies. Using the provincial panel data from 2000 to 2017, this paper constructed an energy spatial agglomeration measurement model, a total factor energy efficiency measurement model, a model of the influence of spatial agglomeration of energy production capacity on regional energy efficiency, and a mediating effect test model to study the mechanism and effect of spatial agglomeration of energy production capacity on regional energy efficiency. The results showed that;① The spatial agglomeration of energy in China's eastern, central and western regions was showing a trend of convergence. Among them, the spatial concentration of energy in the eastern region gradually decreased, that in the western region gradually increased, and that in the central region first increased and then decreased.② China's regional energy efficiency was significantly different, and the overall performance was: energy efficiency in the eastern region > that in the central region > that in the western region. (3) The impact of spatial agglomeration of energy production capacity on regional energy efficiency had regional heterogeneity. From a national perspective, spatial agglomeration of energy production capacity had a significantly positive effect on energy efficiency; from a regional perspective, the spatial agglomeration of energy production capacity in the eastern region promoted energy efficiency, while having a restraining effect on the central and western regions.④ Energy structure and technological innovation were two important factors through which the spatial agglomeration of energy production capacity affected energy efficiency. Based on the above research conclusions, policy recommendations have been put forward to implement the coal development strategy of 'restricting the eastern region, controlling the central region, and developing the western region', accelerate the development of new energy and expand the scope of the carbon trading mechanism in the central and western regions to optimize the energy consumption structure, vigorously promote policy recommendations for energy-saving technological innovation and the development of energy-saving industries and increase energy efficiency assessment in the central and western regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]