How can new quality productivity decrease carbon emission intensity? Evidence from 30 provincial regions in China

Abstract

This investigation first analyzed the connotation of new quality productivity, and then establish the comprehensive evaluation index system from new quality talent resources, new quality science and technology, new forms of quality industries, and new quality production method dimensions to measure the development level of new quality productivity of 30 provincial level regions in China. Based on the quantified new quality productivity development index obtained by anti-entropy method and MARCOS model, inter-provincial panel data from 2012 to 2022 are applied to empirically examine the impact of new quality productivity on carbon emission intensity. Results illustrate that the development of new quality productivity has significantly reduced regional carbon emission intensity. For control variables, the impact of government management and per capita GDP on carbon emission intensity is significantly negative. While the impact of trade openness and urbanization rate on carbon emission intensity is significantly positive. Furthermore, among the four dimensions for evaluating new quality productivity, the greatest negative force on carbon intensity comes from new quality production method, followed by new quality science and technology and new forms of quality industries. Additionally, mediating effect analysis implied that the development of new quality productivity can reduce carbon emission intensity by enhancing total factor productivity, improving energy consumption structure, and promoting rationalization of industrial structure. And industrial agglomeration has a non-linear moderating effect on the relationship between new quality productivity and carbon emissions. Therefore, regional governments should increase investment in areas related to new quality productivity, promote the high-level and rational development of industrial structure, and prompt the intelligent and digital.