Can Energy Development Strategy Actions Boost Green Technology Innovation? Quasi-Natural Experimental Evidence from China

Abstract

Regarding the National Clean Energy Demonstration Province Construction Program (NCEDPCP) initiated by the Chinese government as a quasi-natural experiment, this article examines the effects and influencing mechanisms of the NCEDPCP on GTI based on China's provincial panel data from 2000 to 2020. The results show that the NCEDPCP strongly promoted GTI, leading to a 33.6% increase in the GTI level in the construction region. Mechanism tests indicate that the NCEDPCP promotes regional GTI mainly by strengthening environmental regulation. In contrast, the mediating role of R&D investment is not obvious. Furthermore, the NCEDPCP shows a strong touting color; the central and western regions and less economically developed regions obtain more policy dividends than their counterparts.