The Impact of Digital Trade on the Coordinated Development of Urban Pollution Reduction and Carbon Emission Reduction: From the Perspective of Industrial Agglomeration and Factor Allocation
The Impact of Digital Trade on the Coordinated Development of Urban Pollution Reduction and Carbon Emission Reduction: From the Perspective of Industrial Agglomeration and Factor Allocation
LI Zihao1,2, WANG Yue1
1. School of Business, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; 2. Yangtze River Institute of International Digital Trade Innovation and Development, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
Abstract Based on data from 276 cities in China from 2011 to 2021, this study employs a quasi-natural experiment using cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones and applies a difference-in-differences model to investigate the impact and mechanisms of digital trade on the synergistic development of urban pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction. The study shows that digital trade can promote the coordinated development of urban pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction, and has passed a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that digital trade fosters the coordinated development of urban pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction by agglomerating the digital service industry and cross-border trade enterprises, and by optimizing the allocation of traditional and new factors. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the role of digital trade in promoting the coordinated development of urban pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction is more significant in large cities, key environmental protection cities and non-old industrial base cities. Further analysis shows that digital trade has a significant positive spatial spillover effect on the coordinated development of urban pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction, mainly realized through the agglomeration of cross-border trade enterprises and the allocation of innovative factors. This research provides theoretical references for China's development of digital trade and the enhancement of urban carbon-pollution synergistic governance.
LI Zihao,WANG Yue. The Impact of Digital Trade on the Coordinated Development of Urban Pollution Reduction and Carbon Emission Reduction: From the Perspective of Industrial Agglomeration and Factor Allocation. Economic Survey, 2025, 42(1): 067.
2025, Vol. 42 
