Research On the Influence Mechanism of Digital Infrastructure on Urban Environmental Governance Efficiency Based on Panel Data

Abstract

Under the dual background of high-quality development and ecological civilization construction, digital infrastructure development and environmental governance efficiency improvement have become critical issues in China's economic and social development. This study employs panel data from 235 Chinese cities to empirically verify the significant positive impact of digital infrastructure on environmental governance efficiency. The findings reveal that technological innovation and public ecological awareness function as mediating effects, while industrial upgrading plays a moderating role. Notably, this positive influence demonstrates heterogeneity, being less pronounced in economically developed cities compared to underdeveloped regions, and weaker in environmentally focused cities than in non-environmentally focused ones. The research innovatively illuminates the mechanisms and heterogeneous characteristics through which digital infrastructure affects environmental governance efficiency, thereby providing valuable theoretical foundations and policy implications for enhancing environmental governance practices in China.