Does the Digital Economy Promote Renewable Energy?—Evidence From a Cross-National Sample

Renewable energy is one of the key factors in mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable development. With digital technology at its core, the digital economy has gradually become a new driving force for renewable energy development. However, few studies have examined the impact of the digital economy on renewable energy from a global perspective and explored the transmission mechanisms. Based on the cross-country data of 68 countries (regions) from 2013 to 2021, this paper adopts a panel model to study the impacts of the digital economy on renewable energy. The results show that (1) digital economy has a positive impact on renewable energy; (2) the impact of digital economy on renewable energy is asymmetric and heterogeneous; (3) the impact of digital economy on renewable energy development has obvious threshold characteristics; (4) digital economy indirectly affects renewable energy through technological innovation and financial development. The research in this paper provides a theoretical basis for promoting renewable energy development and a reference and guidance for countries to realize sustainable development in the context of the digital economy.