The impact of the digital economy on the industrial green transformation: evidence from the resource-based cities along the Yangtze river economic belt

Abstract The digital economy (DE), as a new form of economic element in building a new pattern of economic development, is an important driving factor for promoting the industrial green transformation (IGT). Based on panel data from 31 resource-based cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2013 to 2022, this article uses a two-way fixed-effects model, intermediary effects model, and threshold effects model to study the impact of the DE in resource-based cities along the YREB on IGT. The research findings are as follows: The DE significantly promotes IGT and drives it through the enhancement of technological innovation; The promotion effect of the DE on IGT has a non-linear relationship, indicating the presence of threshold effects; Group regression analysis shows that there is heterogeneity in the impact of the DE on IGT concerning city development level, time, and city type. The above findings provide new insights and empirical evidence for understanding issues related to the DE and green economy.