Does Digital City Construction Contribute to Air Pollution Control? Evidence from China

With the quick advancement of new generation information technologies like Internet, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, digitalization is emerging as a crucial tool for restructuring factor resources, reshaping economic landscape, altering competitiveness. However, there no literature on impact mechanism environmental pollution management. Thus, this study measured level digital development in each province using principal component analysis based panel data 30 Chinese provinces during 2006–2019. On basis, haze its mechanisms were explored regression models mediating effect models, respectively. The findings demonstrate that (1) may be reduced through progresses, an inverse U-shaped non-linear link between them, is, technology refined, shifts from facilitation to suppression; (2) can reduce by promoting technological innovation improving efficiency management; (3) regional heterogeneity influence air pollution. In heavily polluted areas, suppression more than three times other areas. goal investigate how affects mechanisms, well offer some scientific guidance China’s efforts build “Digital China” under banner digitalization.