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<p>This study investigates the impact of <i>China’s National Big Data Pilot Zones</i> policy on urban air pollution, a critical challenge for achieving the <i>Sustainable Development Goal 13</i> and global climate objectives. Leveraging the quasi-natural experiment provided by the <i>China’s National Big Data Pilot Zones</i> establishment and a staggered differences-in-differences (DID) design, we analyze satellite-derived PM2.5 data from 285 Chinese cities between 2012 and 2022. The results uncover a significant reduction in PM2.5 concentrations attributable to the policy. Mechanism analyses demonstrate that this environmental improvement operates through two distinct channels: enhancing public environmental supervision and promoting the adoption of digital technologies by firms. Furthermore, the pollution reduction effect is more pronounced in geographically disadvantaged cities and smaller urban areas, highlighting the role of digital tools in mitigating regional inequalities. These findings affirm the potential of digital industrialization as a novel governance tool. We suggest that policymakers scale up digital infrastructure, foster data-driven public participation, and target policy support to less-advantaged cities to synergize economic development with environmental sustainability.</p>

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The digital dustbuster: how China’s Big Data Pilot Zones are cleaning urban air

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月4日

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  • Can Liu,
  • Fan Chen,
  • Junjian Yang,
  • Liang Yuan,
  • Yunjun Xiong

摘要

This study investigates the impact of China’s National Big Data Pilot Zones policy on urban air pollution, a critical challenge for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 13 and global climate objectives. Leveraging the quasi-natural experiment provided by the China’s National Big Data Pilot Zones establishment and a staggered differences-in-differences (DID) design, we analyze satellite-derived PM2.5 data from 285 Chinese cities between 2012 and 2022. The results uncover a significant reduction in PM2.5 concentrations attributable to the policy. Mechanism analyses demonstrate that this environmental improvement operates through two distinct channels: enhancing public environmental supervision and promoting the adoption of digital technologies by firms. Furthermore, the pollution reduction effect is more pronounced in geographically disadvantaged cities and smaller urban areas, highlighting the role of digital tools in mitigating regional inequalities. These findings affirm the potential of digital industrialization as a novel governance tool. We suggest that policymakers scale up digital infrastructure, foster data-driven public participation, and target policy support to less-advantaged cities to synergize economic development with environmental sustainability.