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Abstract
Based on existing studies of the digital economy and green total
factor productivity, combined with sustainable development, network effect
theory, information asymmetry theory and new economic geography, this paper
analyzes the impact mechanism of the digital economy on green total factor
productivity. Using the entropy weight method, this study measures the digital
economy development of 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2013 to 2022.
The super‑efficient SBM‑GML model is used to calculate green total factor
productivity and its spatiotemporal trends. Fixed effects and spatial Durbin
models are constructed to test the impact empirically. Results show that: (1)
China’s urban digital economy has been improving overall with a converging gap
between cities, but significant regional heterogeneity still exists. (2) Urban
green total factor productivity shows a fluctuating upward trend, driven by
technological progress and efficiency changes, but their synergy is not yet
formed. (3) The digital economy significantly promotes green total factor
productivity with regional and developmental heterogeneity, especially in
coastal areas and high‑productivity regions. It functions through upgrading
industrial structure and improving human capital.
Keywords: Digital economy, Green total factor productivity,
Super-efficiency SBM-GML, Spatial Durbin Model.