Digital transport infrastructure and environmental sustainability: STIRPAT perspective based on China's evidence

IF 4.1 2区工程技术 Q2 BUSINESS

Research in Transportation Business and Management Pub Date : 2025-02-14 DOI:10.1016/j.rtbm.2025.101314

Rui Liu , Jingfeng Yuan , Henry J. Liu , Shu Su , Ao Sun , Bingsheng Liu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Digital transport infrastructure (DTI) assets efficiently support people's daily activities of an economy. However, there remains limited research into examining how they impact environment. Acknowledging this gap, we identify the influence mechanisms of DTI comprising population size, economic growth and data flow under an expanded STIRPAT, and then examine them by developing the fixed- and mediation-effect econometric models. The results reveal that DTI can reduce pollution emissions at the national level within the economically developed regions, while its effect on the less developed economy is insignificant. Empirical evidence also indicates that there is an inverse relationship between the population size/data flow and air pollution, which however is aggravated by the economic growth. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of the population size and data flow on environmental emissions was positively changing (i.e., from insignificant to significant) during the period of 2006–2021. This research sets forth a platform to rethink the implications of environmental policies for DTI development within the long-term context.

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来源期刊

Research in Transportation Business and Management Multiple-

CiteScore

7.10

自引率

8.30%

发文量

175

期刊介绍： Research in Transportation Business & Management (RTBM) will publish research on international aspects of transport management such as business strategy, communication, sustainability, finance, human resource management, law, logistics, marketing, franchising, privatisation and commercialisation. Research in Transportation Business & Management welcomes proposals for themed volumes from scholars in management, in relation to all modes of transport. Issues should be cross-disciplinary for one mode or single-disciplinary for all modes. We are keen to receive proposals that combine and integrate theories and concepts that are taken from or can be traced to origins in different disciplines or lessons learned from different modes and approaches to the topic. By facilitating the development of interdisciplinary or intermodal concepts, theories and ideas, and by synthesizing these for the journal''s audience, we seek to contribute to both scholarly advancement of knowledge and the state of managerial practice. Potential volume themes include: -Sustainability and Transportation Management- Transport Management and the Reduction of Transport''s Carbon Footprint- Marketing Transport/Branding Transportation- Benchmarking, Performance Measurement and Best Practices in Transport Operations- Franchising, Concessions and Alternate Governance Mechanisms for Transport Organisations- Logistics and the Integration of Transportation into Freight Supply Chains- Risk Management (or Asset Management or Transportation Finance or ...): Lessons from Multiple Modes- Engaging the Stakeholder in Transportation Governance- Reliability in the Freight Sector