Wei, Ling; Zeng, Bing
A icle
Resea ch on he e ec s o ca bon emissions om
China's echnology ans e : Domes ic and in e na ional
pe spec i es
Economies
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MDPI – Mul idisciplina y Digi al Publishing Ins i u e, Basel
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Wei, Ling; Zeng, Bing (2025) : Resea ch on he e ec s o ca bon emissions om
China's echnology ans e : Domes ic and in e na ional pe spec i es, Economies, ISSN 2227-7099,
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Ci a ion: Wei, L., & Zeng, B. (2025).
Resea ch on he E ec s o Ca bon
Emissions om China’s Technology
T ans e : Domes ic and In e na ional
Pe spec i es. Economies,13(2), 44.
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A icle
Resea ch on he E ec s o Ca bon Emissions om China’s
Technology T ans e : Domes ic and In e na ional Pe spec i es
Ling Wei 1,* and Bing Zeng 2
1The Ins i u e o Sus ainable De elopmen , Macau Uni e si y o Science and Technology,
Taipa, Macao 999078, China
2School o Economics, Anhui Uni e si y o Finance and Economics, Bengbu 233030, China;
[email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac : Technology ans e ep esen s a c i ical a enue o add essing he challenges
associa ed wi h ca bon emission educ ion, wa an ing ho ough in es iga ion in o he
e ec s o bo h domes ic and in e na ional echnology ans e on ca bon emissions. This
s udy employs da a mining echniques o ex ac comp ehensi e da a on pa en ans e s
ac oss 334 p e ec u e-le el ci ies in China om 2000 o 2021, analyzing he in luence o
echnology ans e on ca bon emissions om bo h domes ic and in e na ional pe spec-
i es. The indings indica e ha domes ic echnology ans e and in e na ional echnology
ans e signi ican ly con ibu e o ca bon emission educ ion, wi h in e na ional echnol-
ogy ans e exe ing a mo e subs an ial e ec han i s domes ic coun e pa . To mi iga e
endogenei y conce ns, he s udy u ilizes he sho es dis ance om each ci y o he ele-
g aph lines es ablished du ing he la e Qing Dynas y as an ins umen al a iable and
he esul ing conclusions emain obus . He e ogenei y es s e eal signi ican egional
dispa i ies, pa icula ly in a eas loca ed sou heas and no hwes o he Hu Huanyong line,
as well as be ween egions inside and ou side he i e majo u ban agglome a ions. The
mechanisms unde lying ca bon educ ion sugges ha imp o emen s in ene gy e iciency
and upg ades in indus ial s uc u e se e as he p ima y pa hways o ca bon emission
educ ions esul ing om bo h domes ic and o eign echnology ans e s. These conclu-
sions p o ide a heo e ical ounda ion and empi ical insigh s o acili a e he accele a ion o
echnology low wi hin he con ex o high-quali y de elopmen , pa icula ly conce ning
en i onmen al p o ec ion.
Keywo ds: echnology ans e ; ca bon emissions; ene gy e iciency; indus ial s uc u e;
eleg aph lines o he la e Qing Dynas y
1. In oduc ion
Global wa ming has p ecipi a ed a mul i ude o ad e se e ec s, including ex eme
wea he e en s, wa e sca ci y, en i onmen al deg ada ion, and economic losses, which
ha e long been a conce n o na ions wo ldwide. In esponse o he impe a i e o p e-
en ing “dange ous” human in e e ence wi h he clima e sys em, a se ies o in e na ional
emission educ ion ini ia i es ha e been implemen ed. China, guided by i s “dual ca bon”
objec i es, aims o es ablish a g een and low-ca bon socie al amewo k. Howe e , he
“Global Ca bon Budge 2023”, published by he Global Ca bon P ojec , indica es ha global
ca bon emissions a e p ojec ed o each 40.9 billion ons in 2023, wi h emission le els
emaining ele a ed and signi ican ly de ia ing om es ablished global educ ion a ge s.
Concu en ly, China has expe ienced a subs an ial inc ease in ca bon emissions in 2023,
Economies 2025,13, 44 h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/economies13020044
Economies 2025,13, 44 2 o 22
d i en by pos -pandemic economic eco e y and educed ain all, which ha e in ensi-
ied he demand o coal- i ed powe gene a ion. Despi e he accele a ion o emission
educ ion e o s, he a e o ene gy consump ion and o al ca bon emissions necessa y
o de elopmen emains conside able. Gi en China’s cu en economic scale, popula ion
densi y, and social s uc u e, achie ing a “decoupling” o economic g ow h om ca bon
emissions— he eby ul illing he dual objec i es o high-quali y economic de elopmen
alongside ene gy conse a ion and emission educ ion—p esen s signi ican challenges and
obs acles. A c i ical componen in he endea o o educe ca bon emissions is echnology
ans e , which can acili a e he c ea ion o “ echnological wo mholes” ha diminish he
echnological gap be ween u ban a eas. By enabling he low and in eg a ion o sca ce
esou ces, including echnological knowledge, ad ancemen s in echnology, commodi y
ade, managemen expe ise, and skilled p o essionals, echnology ans e os e s he di -
usion and eplica ion o ad anced egional echnologies, he eby p omo ing echnological
ad ancemen and he de elopmen o g een and low-ca bon inno a ions. Consequen ly,
echnology ans e eme ges as a i al mechanism o b idging he low-ca bon echnology
di ide be ween egions and enhancing o e all echnological capaci y, se ing as a key
elemen in achie ing China’s ca bon peak and ca bon neu ali y objec i es.
The e a e al eady nume ous well-es ablished heo e ical s udies on ca bon emissions,
including he IPAT model, he STRIPAT model, and he LMDI model, among o he s (Eh lich
& Hold en,1971;Die z & Rosa,1997;Wang & Feng,2018). Subsequen schola s ha e u i-
lized hese es ablished amewo ks and models o in o m hei s udies on ca bon emissions,
d awing om a ious heo e ical pe spec i es, including en i onmen al economic he-
o y, en i onmen al inno a ion heo y, inno a ion ne wo k heo y, inpu –ou pu heo y,
and knowledge p oduc ion heo y. Howe e , due o a ia ions in esea ch subjec s, da a
u ilized, and me hodologies employed, he esul s ob ained can di e signi ican ly. Fo
ins ance, conce ning he echnology-d i en ac o s closely ela ed o his pape , he e a e
di e gen opinions on he exis ence o a ca bon- educing e ec a ibu ed o echnological
ac o s and he unde lying mechanisms in ol ed. Consequen ly, he d i ing ac o s and
e ec s o ca bon emissions also exhibi subs an ial a iabili y. Fo ins ance, Shuai e al.
(2017) employed he STIRPAT model o examine 125 coun ies om 1990 o 2011, conclud-
ing ha he in luence o echnological ac o s on ca bon educ ion anks be ween a luence
and popula ion. In con as , g oup s udies indica e ha echnological ac o s a e he mos
signi ican in high-income coun ies, while hey a e he leas impo an in low-income
coun ies. Y. Chen and Lee (2020), based on esea ch conduc ed om 1996 o 2018 ac oss
96 coun ies, ound ha he global ca bon educ ion e ec o echnological inno a ion is
no subs an ial. Rega ding he ca bon- educ ion mechanisms associa ed wi h echnological
ac o s, J. Chen e al. (2020) a gue ha he ca bon educ ion e ec o echnology is con in-
gen upon whe he he change is in en i onmen al echnology o p oduc ion echnology.
X. Zhang e al. (2012) con end ha echnological p og ess p ima ily educes ca bon emis-
sions by enhancing he e iciency o ossil ene gy. And L. Wu e al. (2021) u he asse ha
upg ading indus ial s uc u es is a c i ical mechanism o ca bon educ ion. I is e iden
ha he e exis s a signi ican di e gence among esea che s ega ding he ca bon educ ion
e ec o echnological ac o s and hei impac mechanisms, unde sco ing he necessi y o
u he explo a ion in his a ea.
Inno a ion economics heo y posi s ha “inno a ion is he ecombina ion o ac o s o
p oduc ion” (Schumpe e ,1934). Technology, as a c ucial ac o o p oduc ion, ep esen s a
low o p oduc ion inpu s h ough echnology ans e . This p ocess can simul aneously
in luence echnological inno a ion and p og ess h ough he exchange o in o ma ion and
inno a ion. Cu en ly, nume ous s udies examine he en i onmen al impac s o he low
o capi al, labo , and o he ac o s (Qi & Xu,2019;Des ek e al.,2023). Howe e , he e is a
Economies 2025,13, 44 3 o 22
ela i e sca ci y o esea ch in es iga ing he en i onmen al e ec s o echnological ac o
lows. Exis ing li e a u e on echnological ac o s p edominan ly ocuses on he ans e
o g een and sus ainable echnologies (Fe nandes e al.,2021), wi h insu icien a en ion
gi en o a comp ehensi e pe spec i e on echnology ans e .
The s udies mos closely ela ed o his pape a e hose by Shang e al. (2023), Jin and
Duan (2024) and Wei and Zeng (2024). The i s pape analyzes low-ca bon echnology
ans e ’s impac on ca bon emissions be ween Chinese ci ies, he second examines g een
echnology low e ec s in he Yang ze Ri e Economic Bel , and he hi d discusses spa ial
spillo e e ec s o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions, lacking explo a ion o unde ly-
ing mechanisms. In ligh o he accele a ing egional economic in eg a ion and he ongoing
p ocess o global economic globaliza ion, he pace o economic in eg a ion and echnologi-
cal collabo a ion among coun ies is con inuously inc easing. In his con ex , echnological
ac o s no only low ac oss egions bu also encompass c oss-bo de mo emen s. Domes ic
echnology ans e wi hin China can enhance he supply o echnology and acili a e he
ma ke alloca ion o echnological esou ces, while in e na ional echnology ans e can
p omo e global echnological coope a ion and sha ing.
In ligh o he a o emen ioned conside a ions, his pape adop s bo h in e na ional
and domes ic pe spec i es, u ilizing da a on u ban pa en ans e s in China om 2000 o
2021, o in es iga e he e ec s o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions and o elucida e
he egional dispa i ies in hese impac s. This analysis o e s no el insigh s o enhancing
bo h domes ic and in e na ional echnology ansac ion ma ke s and se es as a e e ence
o ad ancing high-quali y, g een, and low-ca bon economic de elopmen . The po en ial
ma ginal con ibu ions o his pape a e as ollows: Fi s , i examines bo h domes ic and
in e na ional aspec s o echnology ans e , inco po a ing bo h in lows and ou lows.
This app oach en iches he esea ch pe spec i e on echnology lows and b oadens he
scope o s udies on ac o mobili y. Second, he pape in oduces mechanisms ela ed o
ene gy e iciency and indus ial s uc u e, he eby enhancing he unde s anding o he
d i e s behind he impac o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions and he pa hways o
achie ing ca bon peaks om an e iciency-s uc u e pe spec i e. This p o ides aluable
insigh s o u u e esea ch and policymake s. Finally, his pape is he i s o u ilize
he sho es dis ance om each ci y o he eleg aph lines o he la e Qing Dynas y as
an ins umen al a iable. The ounda ional ole o he Qing Dynas y eleg aph lines in
China’s in o ma ion in as uc u e and ex e nal communica ion pa e ns o e s a compelling
explana ion o hei ele ance o echnology ans e . Fu he mo e, he his o ical con ex
helps add ess endogenei y issues, se ing as a e e ence o he selec ion o ins umen al
a iables in u u e s udies.
The s uc u e o his pape is o ganized as ollows: Sec ion 2p esen s he heo e ical
amewo k and esea ch hypo heses; Sec ion 3ou lines he esea ch design; Sec ion 4ana-
lyzes he empi ical esul s; and Sec ion 5concludes wi h he indings and hei implica ions.
2. Theo e ical F amewo k and Resea ch Hypo heses
2.1. The In luence o Technology T ans e on Ca bon Emissions
Technology ans e is a dynamic p ocess ha ealloca es in o ma ion esou ces ela ed
o echnology and knowledge. I can ake a ious o ms, including he ade o goods, ech-
nology exchange, di ec in es men , s a egic alliances, uni e si y–indus y collabo a ion,
scien i ic and echnological exchanges, and echnology assis ance. Technology ans e
acili a es he dissemina ion o echnology and enhances he symme y o echnological
in o ma ion, he eby educing egional echnological dispa i ies. I se es as a ansmission
mechanism o echnological inno a ion and is a c ucial link in he ad ancemen o ech-
nology. Consequen ly, echnological p og ess esul ing om echnology ans e can lead
Economies 2025,13, 44 4 o 22
o a educ ion in ca bon emissions by imp o ing managemen p ac ices and dec easing
he eliance on ossil uels. Fo ins ance, ag icul u al echnology ans e p ima ily lowe s
ca bon emissions by educing he le el o ag icul u al chemical use and by p omo ing
ad anced ag icul u al p oduc ion echnologies and equipmen . In he indus ial sec o ,
echnology ans e can mi iga e ca bon emissions by os e ing indus ial agglome a ion
and encou aging indus ial upg ading. Based on he a o emen ioned con en , his pape
will examine he impac o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions om ou dimensions:
domes ic echnology in lows, domes ic echnology ou lows, in e na ional echnology
in lows, and in e na ional echnology ou lows (as illus a ed in Figu e 1).
Economies 2025, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 o 22
echnological in o ma ion, he eby educing egional echnological dispa i ies. I se es
as a ansmission mechanism o echnological inno a ion and is a c ucial link in he ad-
ancemen o echnology. Consequen ly, echnological p og ess esul ing om echnol-
ogy ans e can lead o a educ ion in ca bon emissions by imp o ing managemen p ac-
ices and dec easing he eliance on ossil uels. Fo ins ance, ag icul u al echnology
ans e p ima ily lowe s ca bon emissions by educing he le el o ag icul u al chemical
use and by p omo ing ad anced ag icul u al p oduc ion echnologies and equipmen . In
he indus ial sec o , echnology ans e can mi iga e ca bon emissions by os e ing in-
dus ial agglome a ion and encou aging indus ial upg ading. Based on he a o emen-
ioned con en , his pape will examine he impac o echnology ans e on ca bon emis-
sions om ou dimensions: domes ic echnology in lows, domes ic echnology ou lows,
in e na ional echnology in lows, and in e na ional echnology ou lows (as illus a ed in
Figu e 1).
Figu e 1. Mechanism analysis cha .
2.1.1. The In luence o Domes ic Technology T ans e on Ca bon Emissions
F om he pe spec i e o domes ic echnology ans e , he ela i ely mino cul u al
diffe ences and he consis ency o policies and egula ions wi hin a coun y con ibu e o
a obus adap abili y o domes ic echnology ans e mechanisms. Consequen ly, bo h
ho izon al echnology ans e s among en e p ises and e ical echnology ans e s om
academic ins i u ions o p oduc ion en e p ises can be effec i e. Domes ic echnology in-
low p ima ily acili a es he educ ion o ca bon emissions h ough he upg ading o in-
dus ial s uc u es and echnological inno a ion (L. Sun e al., 2020). Fi s ly, ecipien e-
gions o echnology ans e can mi iga e he unce ain ies associa ed wi h high- isk, long-
cycle esea ch and de elopmen (R&D). They can swi ly acqui e echnology pa en s and
achie e he indus ial applica ion o new echnologies in he sho e m. This p ocess p o-
mo es he upg ading o indus ial s uc u es and acili a es he low o esou ces owa d
mo e ad anced, g eene , and low-ca bon indus ies. Secondly, echnology in low can gen-
e a e a long- e m accumula ion effec , he eby inc easing he echnological s ock neces-
sa y o independen inno a ion. Las ly, o le e age he echnological bene i s o his
s ock, en e p ises a e likely o implemen measu es such as enhancing aining o ech-
nical pe sonnel, inc easing esea ch and de elopmen unding, and in es ing in human
capi al. These ac ions aim o ans o m he in e nal en i onmen o be e accommoda e
he g ow h o echnology localiza ion, ul ima ely p omo ing ca bon emission educ ions
Figu e 1. Mechanism analysis cha .
2.1.1. The In luence o Domes ic Technology T ans e on Ca bon Emissions
F om he pe spec i e o domes ic echnology ans e , he ela i ely mino cul u al
di e ences and he consis ency o policies and egula ions wi hin a coun y con ibu e o
a obus adap abili y o domes ic echnology ans e mechanisms. Consequen ly, bo h
ho izon al echnology ans e s among en e p ises and e ical echnology ans e s om
academic ins i u ions o p oduc ion en e p ises can be e ec i e. Domes ic echnology
in low p ima ily acili a es he educ ion o ca bon emissions h ough he upg ading o
indus ial s uc u es and echnological inno a ion (L. Sun e al.,2020). Fi s ly, ecipien
egions o echnology ans e can mi iga e he unce ain ies associa ed wi h high- isk,
long-cycle esea ch and de elopmen (R&D). They can swi ly acqui e echnology pa en s
and achie e he indus ial applica ion o new echnologies in he sho e m. This p ocess
p omo es he upg ading o indus ial s uc u es and acili a es he low o esou ces o-
wa d mo e ad anced, g eene , and low-ca bon indus ies. Secondly, echnology in low
can gene a e a long- e m accumula ion e ec , he eby inc easing he echnological s ock
necessa y o independen inno a ion. Las ly, o le e age he echnological bene i s o his
s ock, en e p ises a e likely o implemen measu es such as enhancing aining o echnical
pe sonnel, inc easing esea ch and de elopmen unding, and in es ing in human capi al.
These ac ions aim o ans o m he in e nal en i onmen o be e accommoda e he g ow h
o echnology localiza ion, ul ima ely p omo ing ca bon emission educ ions h ough ech-
nological inno a ion. Con e sely, domes ic echnology ou low p ima ily con ibu es o
ca bon emission educ ion h ough capi al accumula ion and he dissemina ion o echnical
in o ma ion. Technology ou low can yield economic bene i s ha enhance esea ch and
de elopmen capi al, s imula e en husiasm o scien i ic and echnological inno a ion, and
a ac a concen a ion o excep ional alen . Fu he mo e, domes ic echnology ou low
Economies 2025,13, 44 5 o 22
os e s echnical coope a ion, exchange, and coo dina ed de elopmen h ough he sha ing
o echnology, he eby gene a ing a echnological linkage e ec ha enhances he esea ch
and inno a ion capabili ies o bo h echnological pa ne s and he o igina ing en i ies. In
summa y, bo h domes ic echnology in low and ou low play a signi ican ole in acili a ing
ca bon emission educ ions.
2.1.2. The In luence o In e na ional Technology T ans e on Ca bon Emissions
F om he pe spec i e o in e na ional echnology ans e , he in low o echnology
plays a signi ican ole in acili a ing ca bon emission educ ion h ough he concep o
“la ecome ad an age” and access o ad anced in e na ional echnological in o ma ion.
Fi s ly, i is impo an o no e ha impo ed in e na ional echnology, e en i conside ed
ela i ely ou da ed by de eloped coun ies, may su pass he exis ing echnological ca-
pabili ies wi hin he ecipien coun y (Mans ield & Romeo,1980). The ad anced and
cu ing-edge na u e o in e na ional echnology enables he ecipien coun y o capi al-
ize on he la ecome ad an age, he eby achie ing accele a ed echnological ca ch-up,
p og ess, and indus ial upg ading. Secondly, access o cu ing-edge echnological in-
o ma ion can s imula e and guide domes ic esea ch and de elopmen (R&D), which is
pa icula ly bene icial o he s a egic selec ion o “lea ning by doing”. This p ocess, in
u n, os e s g ea e echnological accumula ion in he independen inno a ion o sus ain-
able echnologies, including g een and low-ca bon solu ions. Fo ins ance, Fo eign Di ec
In es men (FDI) can gene a e subs an ial echnology spillo e e ec s h ough a ious
channels, including ma ke compe i ion, labo mobili y, p oduc ion demons a ions, and
bo h o wa d and backwa d linkages wi hin he supply chains o mul ina ional co po a ions
(Sinani & Meye ,2004
;
Djulius,2017
). These e ec s can enhance he labo p oduc i i y and
o al ac o p oduc i i y o local i ms (Lall,1978;Kokko,1994). Fu he mo e, in e na ional
echnology ou low, while p o iding economic bene i s, also necessi a es a high s anda d
o echnology adap a ion. To sus ain economic ad an ages and main ain echnological
ba gaining powe in he con ex o in e na ional echnology ou low, R&D en i ies mus
ac i ely o passi ely inc ease hei in es men in esea ch and de elopmen and employ
a g ea e numbe o R&D pe sonnel. This enhancemen o echnological compe i i eness
is essen ial o adap ing o ma ke demands o high-s anda d in e na ional echnology,
ul ima ely p omo ing independen echnological inno a ion capabili ies. In summa y,
in e na ional echnology ans e se es o educe global echnological dispa i ies, os e s
in e na ional echnological exchanges, and is ins umen al in add essing low-end echno-
logical challenges. I u he suppo s he ad ancemen o medium and high-end, g een,
and clean echnological de elopmen .
In summa y, om bo h domes ic and in e na ional pe spec i es, echnology ans e
plays a signi ican ole in educing ca bon emissions. Domes ic echnology ans e p i-
ma ily ocuses on minimizing ca bon emissions h ough echnology sha ing, enhancing
echnological ese es, op imizing esou ce alloca ion h oughou he indus ial chain,
and s eng hening compe i i e ad an ages wi hin indus ies. In con as , in e na ional
echnology ans e emphasizes collabo a ion wi h he global communi y by acqui ing
cu ing-edge and mo e ad anced echnologies han hose a ailable domes ically. This
app oach acili a es leap og de elopmen in na ional echnology, pa icula ly by swi ly
na owing he in e na ional gap in g een and low-ca bon echnologies. Based on his
analysis, he p esen s udy p oposes he ollowing esea ch hypo heses:
Hypo hesis 1. The in low and ou low o domes ic echnology con ibu e posi i ely o he educ ion
o ca bon emissions.
Economies 2025,13, 44 6 o 22
Hypo hesis 2. The in low and ou low o in e na ional echnology con ibu e posi i ely o he
educ ion o ca bon emissions.
2.2. Mechanisms o Technology T ans e In luencing Ca bon Emissions
Ene gy e iciency and indus ial s uc u e a e widely ecognized as c i ical de e -
minan s o ca bon emissions. Fu he mo e, echnology ans e , as a componen o ac-
o low, exe s a signi ican in luence on bo h ene gy e iciency and indus ial s uc-
u e. Consequen ly, his pape posi s ha echnology ans e a ec s ca bon emissions
h ough he mechanisms o enhancing ene gy e iciency and acili a ing he upg ading o
indus ial s uc u es.
2.2.1. Ene gy E iciency
Imp o ing ene gy e iciency is a c i ical componen in add essing he challenges posed
by clima e change (Lee e al.,2017). Ene gy e iciency can be ca ego ized in o wo dis-
inc ypes: economic ene gy e iciency and physical ene gy e iciency. Economic ene gy
e iciency is de ined as he a io o inal economic ou pu o ene gy inpu , while physi-
cal ene gy e iciency e e s o he a io o ene gy ou pu be o e and a e he p ocess o
ene gy con e sion. Nume ous schola s con end ha ad ancemen s in echnology play a
signi ican ole in enhancing ene gy e iciency (Fan & Lei,2014; R. Zhang & Fu,2022). In
he con ex o de eloping coun ies, echnology ans e , akin o independen inno a ion,
se es as a p ima y a enue o os e ing echnological p og ess. Empi ical s udies ha e
indica ed ha models ocused solely on echnology ans e yield a mo e p onounced
posi i e impac on echnological ad ancemen (L. Jiang & Zhang,2018). Consequen ly, his
pape posi s ha echnology ans e con ibu es o he imp o emen o ene gy e iciency.
Theo e ically, enhancing ene gy e iciency can decele a e he a e o ene gy consump ion
and dec ease he o e all olume o ene gy u ilized, he eby mi iga ing he ca bon dioxide
emissions associa ed wi h ene gy consump ion. F om he s andpoin o domes ic echnol-
ogy ans e , he in lux o high-le el echnologies can imp o e he e iciency o ossil uel
combus ion and he ope a ional e iciency o ene gy equipmen . This imp o emen can
lead o a educ ion in ene gy inpu and consump ion while main aining he same ou pu
le el, ul ima ely esul ing in lowe ca bon emissions. The in low o domes ic echnology
can yield a ious ad an ages ela ed o echnological spillo e s, including he educ ion in
esea ch and de elopmen (R&D) cos s associa ed wi h he ans o ma ion and upg ading
o ene gy-sa ing echnologies, he minimiza ion o R&D ailu e isks, and he enhance-
men o he success a es o ad anced ene gy-sa ing and emission- educ ion echnologies
h ough he a ailabili y o skilled pe sonnel and echnological esou ces. The economic
bene i s de i ed om domes ic echnology ou low can p o ide inancial suppo o he
con inued ad ancemen o ene gy u iliza ion e iciency echnologies. This suppo no
only di ec ly inc eases unding sou ces o R&D bu also enhances egional alen de el-
opmen . Fu he mo e, i accele a es echnology cycles and upda es h ough echnology
ou pu , os e ing a compe i i e and collabo a i e domes ic echnological en i onmen ha
p omo es signi ican ad ancemen s in g een, low-ca bon echnologies and R&D ocused on
ene gy sa ings and emission educ ions. F om an in e na ional pe spec i e, echnology
spillo e and echnological p og ess p ima ily occu h ough in e na ional impo ade,
pa en licensing, and he in oduc ion o in e na ional echnological alen , all o which a e
i al channels o enhancing ene gy e iciency. Due o exis ing echnological ba ie s, he
ocus o in e na ional echnology ans e ends o be on basic and gene al echnologies,
while cu ing-edge, majo , and co e echnologies may no be eadily ans e able ac oss
na ional bo de s. Exis ing esea ch has es ablished ha in e na ional echnology spillo e
se es as a c ucial ex e nal d i ing o ce o imp o ing he o al- ac o ene gy e iciency
Economies 2025,13, 44 7 o 22
wi hin he manu ac u ing sec o , wi h echnology impo ed om de eloped coun ies
di ec ly p omo ing ene gy e iciency. The in low o in e na ional echnology p o ides hos
coun ies wi h access o ad anced echnological capabili ies, acili a ing alignmen wi h
global echnological s anda ds while also os e ing lea ning e ec s ha c ea e oppo uni ies
o echnology imi a ion, consump ion, and abso p ion. Addi ionally, in e na ional echnol-
ogy ou low cul i a es pa ne ships in ene gy echnology esea ch, enhances in e ac ions
in ene gy echnology, and ul ima ely con ibu es o educ ions in ca bon emissions. In
summa y, his pape p oposes he ollowing hypo heses:
Hypo hesis 3. The in low and ou low o domes ic echnology has he po en ial o enhance ca bon
emission educ ion by inc easing he e iciency o ene gy u iliza ion.
Hypo hesis 4. The in low and ou low o in e na ional echnology may acili a e he educ ion in
ca bon emissions by enhancing he e iciency o ene gy u iliza ion.
2.2.2. Indus ial S uc u e Upg ading
Indus ial s uc u e adjus men ep esen s a c i ical app oach o add essing en i on-
men al challenges (Zhu & Zhang,2021). The p ocess o indus ial s uc u e upg ading
p ima ily in ol es he dynamic e olu ion o indus ial amewo ks om lowe o highe
le els. Technology ans e plays a pi o al ole in acili a ing indus ial upg ading h ough
a ious pa hways, including he mode niza ion o adi ional indus ial echnologies, he
enhancemen o high-quali y new asse s, he echnological spillo e e ec s on local en e -
p ises, and he de elopmen o high- ech indus ies. The upg ading o indus ial s uc u es
inhe en ly ca ies en i onmen al implica ions; he ongoing enhancemen o indus ial
amewo ks signi ies a ansi ion om p ima y and seconda y indus ies o he e ia y
sec o , which has a subs an ial di ec impac on educing ca bon emissions. Mo eo e ,
indus ial s uc u e-upg ading is ins umen al in ans o ming adi ional economic models
cha ac e ized by high emissions and ene gy consump ion in o a new pa adigm cen e ed
on en i onmen ally iendly high- ech indus ies. This ansi ion can yield indi ec ca bon
emission educ ions h ough economic mechanisms. Addi ionally, he upg ading p ocess
exhibi s compe i i e and demons a i e e ec s, which may esul in indi ec spillo e
impac s on ca bon emissions in adjacen egions. Consequen ly, indus ial upg ading in lu-
ences ca bon emissions h ough bo h di ec and indi ec mechanisms. F om he pe spec i e
o domes ic echnology in low, egions wi h ad anced indus ial s uc u es possess g ea e
echnological ese es and enhanced capabili ies o echnological abso p ion, he eby
acili a ing he swi applica ion o in oduced echnologies in p oduc ion p ac ices and
p omo ing ca bon educ ion in he sho e m. In e ms o domes ic echnology ou low,
egions wi h sophis ica ed indus ial s uc u es bene i om a mo e e icien alloca ion o
ac o esou ces, leading o mo e e ec i e e u ns om echnology ou low ha s imula e
he en husiasm o esea ch and de elopmen pe sonnel and a ac high- ech alen . This,
in u n, suppo s he applica ion and esea ch o g een and sus ainable ene gy echnologies.
Rega ding in e na ional echnology in low, egions wi h ad anced indus ial s uc u es ex-
hibi s onge echnological abso p ion capabili ies and b oade applica ion ma ke s. These
a eas can apidly implemen in oduced echnologies ac oss a ious sec o s, including ma-
chine y, ene gy, chemicals, in o ma ion, and anspo a ion, he eby gene a ing signi ican
en i onmen al bene i s. Con e sely, in he con ex o in e na ional echnology ou low,
egions wi h ad anced indus ial s uc u es ypically demons a e enhanced echnological
inno a ion capabili ies and hos a g ea e numbe o mul ina ional co po a ions and o eign
ade en e p ises. These ac o s con ibu e o an accele a ed pace o echnology expo s.
Consequen ly, o mee he echnical s anda ds and quali y equi emen s o expo s, he
echnological le el and en i onmen o independen inno a ion in hese egions ha e also
Economies 2025,13, 44 8 o 22
seen co esponding imp o emen s. In ligh o hese obse a ions, his pape p oposes he
ollowing hypo heses:
Hypo hesis 5. The in low and ou low o domes ic echnology has he po en ial o acili a e he
educ ion in ca bon emissions h ough mechanisms ela ed o indus ial s uc u e upg ading.
Hypo hesis 6. The in low and ou low o in e na ional echnology may acili a e he educ ion in
ca bon emissions h ough mechanisms ela ed o indus ial s uc u e upg ading.
3. Resea ch Design
3.1. Model Speci ica ion
In ligh o he di e ences be ween domes ic and in e na ional echnology ans e ,
as well as he dynamics o in low and ou low, his s udy es ablishes a undamen al
econome ic model o assess he impac o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions. The
analysis is conduc ed om wo pe spec i es: domes ic echnology in low and ou low, and
in e na ional echnology in low and ou low. Following he me hodology p oposed by
Cheng e al. (2024), all explana o y a iables a e lagged by one pe iod o mi iga e po en ial
en i onmen al endogenei y issues. The basic eg ession model is o mula ed as ollows:
ln co2i =β0+β1ln z i −1+β2ln zci −1+β3Xi −1+T +Vi+Ei (1)
ln co2i =β0+β1ln z i −1+β2ln zci −1+β3Xi −1+T +Vi+Ei (2)
Equa ion (1) ep esen s he impac o domes ic echnology in low and ou low on
ca bon emission e ec s, whe eas Equa ion (2) ep esen he impac o in e na ional ech-
nology in low and ou low on ca bon emission e ec s. In he model, i(=1, 2,
. . .
, 334)
ep esen s he ci y, and (=2000, 2001,
. . .
, 2021) ep esen s he yea . The dependen a iable
lnco2
i
is he ca bon emission o ci y iin yea , measu ed by he loga i hm o pe capi a
ca bon emissions. lnz
i −1
, lnzc
i −1
, ln z
i −1
, and ln zc
i −1
ep esen he loga i hms o
he explana o y a iables o domes ic echnology in low, domes ic echnology ou low,
in e na ional echnology in low, and in e na ional echnology ou low, espec i ely. X
i
is
he se o con ol a iables; T
is he ime ixed e ec ; V
i
is he indi idual ixed e ec ; E
i
is
he andom dis u bance e m; and β1and β2a e he co esponding coe icien s.
3.2. Va iable Selec ion and Da a Desc ip ion
Dependen Va iable: The dependen a iable in his s udy is ca bon emission. Since
ca bon dioxide emissions a e he p ima y sou ce o g eenhouse gases, his pape adhe es
o es ablished p ac ices (Xu e al.,2006;B.Q.Lin & Jiang,2009) by using pe capi a ca bon
emissions as a p oxy. This me ic is calcula ed as he a io o a ci y’s o al CO
2
emissions
o i s yea -end popula ion. Conside ing ha he ca bon emission da a o p e ec u e-
le el ci ies in he widely used Ca bon Emission Accoun s and Da ase s (accessible a
h ps://www.ceads.ne /da a/coun y/, accessed on 24 Sep embe 2024) ha e no been
upda ed since 2019, his pape u ilizes he Open Sou ce Da a In en o y o An h opogenic
Ca bon Dioxide (ODIAC), which is highly au ho i a i e and in e na ionally ecognized
(Oda e al.,2018;Zheng e al.,2020). This da ase p o ides g idded da a wi h a esolu ion
o 1 km
×
1 km, es ima ed based on he ca bon emission in ensi y and geog aphical
loca ion o powe plan s, as well as nigh ime ligh da a obse ed by sa elli es. The da a a e
a ailable on he o icial websi e o he Cen e o Global En i onmen al Resea ch (h ps://
db.cge .nies.go.jp/da ase /ODIAC/DL
_
odiac2022.h ml, accessed on 24 Sep embe 2024).
This pape p ocesses he co esponding g idded laye s using A cGIS so wa e (10.8.2
e sion) and subsequen ly agg ega es he da a on an annual basis. I employs ools such as
Economies 2025,13, 44 15 o 22
limi ed a ailabili y o adi ional ossil ene gy esou ces. Acco ding o he u ban loca ion
he e ogenei y analysis p esen ed in Table 5, ci ies si ua ed no hwes o he Hu Huanyong
Line exhibi signi ican ca bon emission educ ion e ec s om bo h domes ic and in e -
na ional echnology in lows. Howe e , domes ic and in e na ional echnology ou lows
do no demons a e a signi ican impac on u ban ca bon emissions. This disc epancy
wi h he baseline eg ession may be a ibu ed o he low le el o economic de elopmen
and he igid indus ial s uc u e p e alen in he no hwes egion. In his economically
disad an aged a ea, nei he domes ic no in e na ional echnology ou lows e ec i ely
a ac he ans e o high-quali y esea ch and de elopmen (R&D) alen , no do hey
incen i ize go e nmen al o co po a e in es men in inno a ion and R&D. Consequen ly,
his esul s in an en i onmen ha is no conduci e o independen echnological inno-
a ion. In con as , o ci ies loca ed on o sou heas o he Hu Huanyong Line, domes ic
echnology in low, domes ic echnology ou low, and in e na ional echnology ou low
all yield signi ican ca bon educ ion e ec s, while in e na ional echnology in low does
no con ibu e o a educ ion in ca bon emissions. This inconsis ency wi h he baseline
eg ession may s em om he sou heas egion’s ad anced economic de elopmen and
obus R&D and inno a ion capabili ies, which lead o he acquisi ion o non-c i ical ech-
nologies due o echnological compe i ion. Such echnologies ha e a minimal impac on he
ca bon emissions o egions wi h al eady es ablished indus ial s uc u es and may e en
induce subs an ial echnological subs i u ion e ec s, esul ing in dec eased in es men in
independen esea ch and de elopmen , ul ima ely leading o an insigni ican impac on
ca bon educ ion. In summa y, he e exis s a no able egional he e ogenei y in he in luence
o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions be ween he no hwes and sou heas egions
o China, as delinea ed by he Hu Huanyong Line.
Table 5. He e ogenei y Tes Resul s 1.
Domes ic Technology T ans e In e na ional Technology T ans e
The No hwes Side
o he Hu Line
On and o he
Sou heas o he
Hu Line
The No hwes Side
o he Hu Line
On and o he
Sou heas o he
Hu Line
Inz −0.0273 **
(0.0361)
−0.0105 **
(0.0195)
Inzc −0.0854
(0.0299)
−0.1125 ***
(0.0195)
ln z −0.2547 ***
(0.0804)
−0.0137
(0.0101)
In zc 0.1128
(0.0804)
−0.0582 ***
(0.0118)
Con ol Va iables Y Y Y Y
Time Fixed E ec s Y Y Y Y
Regional Fixed E ec s Y Y Y Y
Adj. R20.8921 0.7251 0.8930 0.7212
N 528 6820 528 6820
No e: The numbe s in pa en heses a e s anda d e o s; *** and ** indica e ha he a iable is signi ican a he 1%
and 5% signi icance le els, espec i ely.
4.4.2. U ban Agglome a ion He e ogenei y Tes
Excluding he Hong Kong and Macao egions, he i e majo u ban agglome a-
ions in China cu en ly comp ise he Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei U ban Agglome a ion, he
Economies 2025,13, 44 16 o 22
Yang ze Ri e Del a U ban Agglome a ion, he Pea l Ri e Del a U ban Agglome a ion, he
Chengdu–Chongqing U ban Agglome a ion, and he Cen al Yang ze Ri e U ban Agglom-
e a ion. In he con ex o high-quali y economic de elopmen , u ban agglome a ions se e
as c ucial spa ial o ganiza ional o ms o in eg a ing egional de elopmen ad an ages
and play a pi o al ole in p omo ing coo dina ed egional de elopmen , pa icula ly in
e ms o echnological collabo a ion. Consequen ly, his pape conduc s he e ogeneous
eg essions sepa a ely o a eas wi hin and ou side he i e majo u ban agglome a ions,
wi h he esul s p esen ed in Table 6. I can be obse ed ha wi hin he i e majo u -
ban agglome a ions, domes ic echnology in lows, domes ic echnology ou lows, and
in e na ional echnology ou lows all demons a e signi ican ca bon- educing e ec s. In
con as , in e na ional echnology in lows ha e an insigni ican impac on inc easing ca bon
emissions. Con e sely, ou side he i e majo u ban agglome a ions, domes ic echnology
in lows, domes ic echnology ou lows, in e na ional echnology in lows, and in e na ional
echnology ou lows all exhibi signi ican ca bon- educing e ec s. Compa ed o he bench-
ma k eg ession esul s, he po en ial easons o he obse ed inconsis encies a e as ollows:
The low and agg ega ion o a ious ac o s in u ban agglome a ions, which e lec in e ci y
in e ac ions and agglome a ion e ec s, ypically occu in egions wi h ela i ely ma u e
echnological and indus ial ounda ions. The i e majo u ban agglome a ions gene ally
possess ad anced echnologies and managemen p ac ices ha a e close o he echno-
logical e iciency on ie . Consequen ly, he in e na ional echnology ans e ed o hese
egions does no yield a signi ican ca bon- educing e ec . Addi ionally, he ans e ed
in e na ional echnology may s imula e economic g ow h, which is o en accompanied
by inc eased esou ce consump ion and ca bon emissions. The combined e ec s o hese
ac o s ul ima ely esul in a negligible inc ease in ca bon emissions. In summa y, he e a e
signi ican egional di e ences in he e ec s o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions,
bo h wi hin and ou side he i e majo u ban agglome a ions. This inding is consis en
wi h o he ele an li e a u e.
Table 6. He e ogenei y es esul s 2.
Domes ic Technology T ans e In e na ional Technology T ans e
Wi hin he Fi e
Majo U ban
Agglome a ions
Ou side he Fi e
Majo U ban
Agglome a ions
Wi hin he Fi e
Majo U ban
Agglome a ions
Ou side he Fi e
Majo U ban
Agglome a ions
Inz −0.0118 **
(0.0092)
−0.0030 ***
(0.0225)
Inzc −0.0050 ***
(0.0079)
−0.1063 ***
(0.0213)
ln z 0.0025
(0.0062)
−0.0376 **
(0.0145)
In zc −0.0112 **
(0.0063)
−0.0744 ***
(0.0167)
Con ol Va iables Y Y Y Y
Time Fixed E ec s Y Y Y Y
Regional Fixed E ec s Y Y Y Y
Adj. R20.9591 0.7218 0.9592 0.7328
N 2068 5280 2068 5280
No e: The numbe s in pa en heses a e s anda d e o s; *** and ** indica e ha he a iable is signi ican a he 1%
and 5% signi icance le els, espec i ely.
Economies 2025,13, 44 17 o 22
4.5. Mechanism Analysis
Based on he heo e ical analysis p esen ed in he p eceding ex , his pape posi s
ha echnology ans e p ima ily acili a es ca bon educ ion h ough he mechanisms o
enhanced ene gy e iciency and he upg ading o indus ial s uc u es. Fi s , in alignmen
wi h es ablished p ac ices in he exis ing li e a u e (Su & Hong,2024), his s udy employs
GDP pe uni o ene gy consump ion as a me ic o ene gy e iciency. Gi en ha he “China
Ene gy S a is ical Yea book” only con ains p o incial-le el ene gy consump ion da a, his
esea ch adop s a linea model wi hou an in e cep , ollowing he me hodologies o p e i-
ous s udies (J. S. Wu e al.,2014). This model u ilizes he quan i a i e ela ionship be ween
DMSP/OLS nigh - ime ligh da a and ene gy s a is ics o disagg ega e p o incial ene gy
consump ion da a o he le el o each p e ec u e-le el ci y based on he co esponding ligh
da a alues. Subsequen ly, ci y-le el ene gy consump ion pe uni o GDP is calcula ed
by di iding he o al ene gy consump ion by he g oss domes ic p oduc . Second, in ac-
co dance wi h he me hodologies employed by Zhou e al. (2024), he indus ial s uc u e
hie a chy coe icien is u ilized o ep esen he upg ading o he indus ial s uc u e. The
speci ic calcula ion o mula is p o ided in Equa ion (3), whe e y1, y2, and y3 deno e he
p opo ions o he ou pu alue o he p ima y, seconda y, and e ia y indus ies in ela ion
o GDP, espec i ely. A highe HI alue indica es a g ea e le el o indus ial s uc u e
upg ading. The da a u ilized in his analysis is sou ced om ci y s a is ical yea books
spanning mul iple yea s.
HI =y1×1+y2×2+y3×3 (3)
This pape e e ences he s udy conduc ed by T. Jiang (2022) and u ilizes a wo-s ep
me hodology o assess he e ec i eness o he associa ed mechanisms. The p e ious analy-
sis con i med he inhibi o y e ec o echnology ans e on u ban ca bon emissions, while
he ca bon- educing impac s o ene gy e iciency and he upg ading o indus ial s uc u es
ha e been ho oughly discussed in he heo e ical hypo hesis sec ion. Consequen ly, i is
essen ial o examine he in luence o echnology ans e on ene gy e iciency and indus ial
s uc u e upg ading o subs an ia e he e ec i eness o hese mechanisms. In his s udy,
he dependen a iables in he ounda ional eg ession models (1) and (2) a e subs i u ed
wi h he wo media ing mechanism a iables, while all o he a iables emain cons an ,
esul ing in he ene gy e iciency mechanism models (4) and (5), as well as he indus ial
s uc u e mechanism models (6) and (7).
ln nyxli =β0+β1ln z i −1+β2ln zci −1+β3Xi −1+T +Vi+Ei (4)
ln nyxli =β0+β1ln zci −1+β2ln z i −1+Xi −1+T +Vi+Ei (5)
ln cyjgi =β0+β1ln z i −1+β2ln zci −1+β3Xi −1+T +Vi+Ei (6)
ln cyjgi =β0+β1ln zci −1+β2ln z i −1+Xi −1+T +Vi+Ei (7)
In hese models, i(=1, 2,
. . .
, 334) ep esen s he ci y, and (=2000, 2001,
. . .
, 2021)
ep esen s he yea . The dependen a iable lnnyxli is he ene gy e iciency o ci y iin yea
, dependen a iable lnnyxli is he indus ial s uc u e upg ading o ci y iin yea .X
i
is
he se o con ol a iables; T
is he ime- ixed e ec ; V
i
is he indi idual ixed e ec ; E
i
is
he andom dis u bance e m; and β1and β2a e he co esponding coe icien s.
4.5.1. Ene gy E iciency Mechanism
The da a p esen ed in Table 7indica e ha domes ic echnology in low, domes ic
echnology ou low, in e na ional echnology in low, and in e na ional echnology ou low
signi ican ly in luence he enhancemen o ene gy e iciency. The espec i e impac coe i-
cien s o hese a iables a e 0.0099, 0.0053, 0.0173, and 0.0101, wi h signi icance le els o 5%,
Economies 2025,13, 44 18 o 22
5%, 5%, and 1%. These indings sugges ha bo h domes ic and in e na ional echnology
lows con ibu e posi i ely o he alloca ion o echnological esou ces, he eby acili a ing
imp o emen s in ene gy e iciency h ough a ious mechanisms, including echnology
spillo e , echnological ad ancemen , economic impac s, and scale e ec s. The conclusion
aligns wi h he esea ch indings o H. Sun e al. (2021) and He and Huang (2023). The
esul s p esen ed abo e p o ide con i ma ion o he es ablishmen o Hypo heses 3 and 4.
Table 7. Mechanism es esul s.
Domes ic Technology T ans e In e na ional Technology T ans e
Ene gy
E iciency
Indus ial
S uc u e Upg ading
Ene gy
E iciency
Indus ial
S uc u e Upg ading
Inz 0.0099 **
(0.0032)
0.0146 ***
(0.0093)
Inzc 0.0053 **
(0.0030)
0.0021 **
(0.0086)
ln z 0.0173 **
(0.0081)
0.0343 ***
(0.0070)
In zc 0.0101 ***
(0.0032)
0.0629 ***
(0.0081)
Con ol Va iables Y Y Y Y
Time Fixed E ec s Y Y Y Y
Regional Fixed E ec s Y Y Y Y
Adj. R20.5336 0.7605 0.5328 0.7630
N 7348 7348 7348 7348
No e: The numbe s in pa en heses a e s anda d e o s; *** and ** indica e ha he a iable is signi ican a he 1%
and 5% signi icance le els, espec i ely.
4.5.2. Indus ial S uc u e Upg ading Mechanism
Table 7demons a es ha bo h domes ic echnology in low and domes ic echnology
ou low signi ican ly con ibu e o he upg ading o indus ial s uc u es a he 1% and 5%
signi icance le els, wi h impac coe icien s o 0.0146 and 0.0021, espec i ely. Fu he mo e,
in e na ional echnology in low and in e na ional echnology ou low exe a signi ican
posi i e in luence on he indus ial s uc u e mechanism a he 1% signi icance le el, wi h
impac coe icien s o 0.0343 and 0.0629, espec i ely. These indings sugges ha bo h
domes ic and in e na ional echnology ans e s can acili a e ca bon emission educ ion
h ough he indus ial s uc u e mechanism. The esul s abo e con i m ha he mechanism
analysis p esen ed ea lie is ela i ely eliable, and suppo s Hypo heses 5 and 6. O he
ele an s udies ha e eached simila conclusions, al hough hey ha e ocused on he
pe spec i es o echnological inno a ion o echnological p og ess (N. Wu & Liu,2021;
You & Zhang,2022).
5. Conclusions and Recommenda ions
The spa ial dynamics o echnological ac o s ep esen a c ucial a enue o os e ing
high-quali y g een de elopmen wi hin he economy in he con empo a y e a. Technology
se es as a undamen al ca alys o ene gy conse a ion, emission educ ion, and sus ain-
able de elopmen . The inqui y in o how o es ablish ene gy-e icien and ca bon- educing
indus ial chains, as well as p oduc ion and li es yle models h ough he low o echnology,
alongside he coexis ence o echnology and na u e, cons i u es a signi ican a ea o ocus.
In ligh o his, he p esen s udy empi ically in es iga es he impac o echnology ans e
Economies 2025,13, 44 19 o 22
on ca bon emissions om bo h domes ic and in e na ional pe spec i es, u ilizing a da ase
comp ising 334 esea ch subjec s in China om 2000 o 2021. The indings o he s udy a e
as ollows: Fi s , echnology ans e demons a es a posi i e e ec on ca bon emission
educ ion in China, wi h in e na ional echnology ans e exe ing a mo e subs an ial
in luence on ca bon emissions. Second, a se ies o obus ness es s—including he sub-
s i u ion o he explained a iable, al e a ions o he da a sample, and he applica ion o
ins umen al a iable me hods— alida e he obus ness o he baseline eg ession esul s.
Thi d, he e ogenei y analysis e eals ha domes ic and in e na ional echnology in lows
in he no hwes egion o he Hu Huanyong Line, as well as domes ic echnology in low,
domes ic echnology ou low, and in e na ional echnology ou low in he sou heas egion
o he Hu Huanyong Line, along wi h domes ic echnology in low, domes ic echnology
ou low, and in e na ional echnology ou low wi hin he i e majo u ban agglome a ions,
and ou side hese agglome a ions, all exhibi signi ican ca bon emission educ ion e ec s.
Con e sely, he impac o echnology ans e on ca bon emissions in o he egions is
no s a is ically signi ican . Fou h, he mechanism analysis indica es ha bo h domes ic
and in e na ional echnology ans e s can acili a e ca bon emission educ ions h ough
mechanisms ela ed o ene gy e iciency and g een echnology inno a ion. In ligh o hese
esea ch indings, se e al policy ecommenda ions a e p oposed.
To enhance he domes ic echnology ans e sys em, i is impe a i e o accele a e i s
cons uc ion, he eby os e ing independen inno a ion and echnological de elopmen .
This app oach aims o mi iga e he subs i u ion and compe i i e p essu es posed by in-
e na ional echnologies en e ing he domes ic ma ke , while also ampli ying he ca bon
emission- educ ion bene i s associa ed wi h domes ic echnology ans e . Fi s ly, i is es-
sen ial o go e nmen s o enhance he e alua ion and appoin men sys em o p o essional
i les, as well as he p omo ion mechanisms o alen in echnology ans e . Addi ionally,
hey should expedi e he de elopmen o a na ional echnology ading ne wo k ha is
in e connec ed, in o de o consolida e inno a i e esou ces such as achie emen s, unding,
alen , se ices, and policies. This ne wo k will acili a e he swi indus ial applica ion o
scien i ic and echnological inno a ions. Secondly, en e p ises should es ablish mechanisms
o cul i a e and s eng hen leading echnology companies. These companies will guide he
in eg a ion and inno a ion o bo h he ups eam and downs eam segmen s o he indus-
ial chain, acili a ing he as e ma ke en y o new p oduc s. Las ly, esea ch ins i u ions
should p io i ize he s eng hening o basic heo ies and undamen al p inciples o add ess
key echnological issues a hei sou ce and ounda ional le el.
To enhance he coo dina ed egional de elopmen o echnology ans e and o
p omo e he en i onmen al bene i s associa ed wi h such ans e s, i is essen ial o adop
a dual app oach ha add esses bo h supply-side and demand-side ac o s. This in ol es
s eng hening echnology ans e ini ia i es in he no hwes egion o he Hu Huanyong
Line as well as wi hin he i e majo u ban agglome a ions. In addi ion o imp o ing he
capaci y o abso b and assimila e echnology, i is impe a i e o ad ance he de elopmen
o indus ies owa ds g ea e in elligence and sus ainabili y. This can be achie ed by
inc easing in es men s in echnology esea ch and de elopmen , as well as by enhancing
incen i es and en o cemen mechanisms aimed a ca bon educ ion.
To enhance ounda ional esea ch on p op ie a y echnologies wi hin he ene gy sec o
and o os e inno a ion in co e echnologies, i is essen ial o p omo e di e en ia ed s a e-
gies o ene gy inno a ion de elopmen h ough independen esea ch and de elopmen as
well as he in oduc ion o o eign echnologies. This app oach aims o g adually ad ance
he inno a ion o co e ene gy echnologies and educe eliance on in e na ional echnology
impo s. Based on he analysis p esen ed in his pape , i is impe a i e o eassess and
ede ine he ole o in e na ional echnology acquisi ion in achie ing objec i es ela ed o
Economies 2025,13, 44 20 o 22
g een ene gy, ene gy e iciency, and ca bon educ ion. Fu he mo e, i is c ucial o imp o e
incen i e mechanisms ha encou age o iginali y, imi a ion, and he assimila ion o domes-
ic inno a ions. This can be achie ed by p omo ing collabo a i e mechanisms among key
inno a ion s akeholde s, including go e nmen en i ies, en e p ises, and esea ch ins i u-
ions. Ul ima ely, he goal is o maximize he syne gis ic e ec s o echnology ans e on he
independen inno a ion o echnologies ela ed o g een ene gy and ene gy conse a ion
h ough he e ec i e in eg a ion o domes ic and in e na ional echnological esou ces.
To op imize indus ial policies, os e he de elopmen o g een indus y clus e s,
and ad ance he high-end and low-ca bon ans o ma ion o he indus ial s uc u e. This
can be achie ed by di ec ing echnology, capi al, and o he esou ces owa ds indus ies
cha ac e ized by high added alue, low ene gy consump ion, and minimal emissions
h ough e ec i e policy guidance. Fu he mo e, i is impo an o acili a e he echnological
ans o ma ion and upg ading o adi ional indus ies while educing eliance on high
ca bon-emi ing sec o s. Concu en ly, e o s should be made o enhance he clus e
de elopmen o g een echnology and clean ene gy indus ies, he eby p omo ing he
exchange and collabo a ion o g een knowledge and echnologies.
This s udy acknowledges se e al limi a ions and sho comings. Due o space con-
s ain s, he pape ocuses solely on analyzing he impac o echnology ans e on ca bon
emissions and i s media ing mechanisms. O he impo an aspec s, such as mode a ing
e ec s, h eshold e ec s, and policy implica ions, equi e u he in es iga ion. In addi ion
o pa en ans e , o he indica o s o echnology ans e —such as alen acquisi ion, ech-
nology se ices, in o ma ion exchange, esea ch collabo a ion, and go e nmen -uni e si y-
indus y pa ne ships—should be u he de ined and examined om mul iple pe spec i es.
Finally, his pape uses he o e all low o knowledge ( echnology) as i s esea ch ounda-
ion. Fu u e s udies could ca ego ize pa en s mo e speci ically and explo e deca boniza ion
om he iewpoin s o a ious echnological ca ego ies o indus y he e ogenei y.
Au ho Con ibu ions: Concep ualiza ion, B.Z. and L.W.; da a cu a ion, L.W.; o mal analysis, L.W.;
p ojec adminis a ion, L.W.; w i ing—o iginal d a , L.W.; w i ing— e iew and edi ing, B.Z. and
L.W. All au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he published e sion o he manusc ip .
Funding: This esea ch ecei ed no ex e nal unding.
In o med Consen S a emen : No applicable.
Da a A ailabili y S a emen : The o iginal con ibu ions p esen ed in he s udy a e included in he
a icle, u he inqui ies can be di ec ed o he co esponding au ho .
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic o in e es .
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au ho (s) and con ibu o (s) and no o MDPI and/o he edi o (s). MDPI and/o he edi o (s) disclaim esponsibili y o any inju y o
people o p ope y esul ing om any ideas, me hods, ins uc ions o p oduc s e e ed o in he con en .
