The Impact of Digital Economy Development on Environmental Pollution: From the Perspective of Technological Innovation and Industrial Structure Optimization

As an important driver of high-quality economic development, the digital economy plays a significant role in balancing economic growth and environmental protection, serving as a crucial support for addressing the epochal challenge of ecological and environmental issues and for achieving environmental quality improvement. Utilizing the national-level Big Data Comprehensive Experimental Zone strategy as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper employs balanced panel data from 31 provincial-level regions from 2010 to 2020 to confirm the pollution reduction effects of the digital economy. It then applies a two-step method to examine the mediating effects of technological innovation and industrial structure. Additionally, a moderation effect model is established to clarify the differential performance of the digital economy's pollution reduction effects with varying moderating variables. During this new window of opportunity, this research offers valuable insights for China to coordinate ecological civilization construction and the harmonious development of the economy and society under the new development pattern.