Digital Economy Development and Green Total Factor Productivity: Influence Mechanisms and Empirical Evidence

This study investigates the dynamic interplay between digital transformation and sustainable development in contemporary China. Utilizing panel data spanning 30 provincial-level administrative units (2006-2021), this investigation establishes a comprehensive evaluation framework to quantify regional disparities in both digital economy maturity and green productivity performance. Through rigorous empirical analysis, we systematically examine the structural mechanisms through which digital advancement catalyzes green total factor productivity (GTFP) enhancement, while conducting phased comparative assessments aligned with critical junctures in China's digital evolution trajectory. Key findings reveal three critical insights: First, digital economy development demonstrates statistically significant positive externalities on GTFP optimization, with effect magnitude exhibiting temporal sensitivity to national digital strategy implementation phases. Second, mechanism analysis identifies provincial environmental regulatory intensity as a pivotal moderating variable that positively amplifies the digital-GTFP nexus. Third, asymmetrical interprovincial openness patterns exacerbate regional disparities across multiple dimensions - including resource allocation efficiency, industrial composition characteristics, and environmental governance capacity, which consequently induce differentiated spatial effects of digital development on ecological productivity improvement.