Associate Professor Xiaohang Ren, a researcher of the Base, has published a collaborative paper titled "Can digital transformation affect coal utilization efficiency in China? Evidence from spatial econometric analyses" in Resources Policy.

Resources Policy is an internationally renowned journal in the field of environmental research included in SSCI, ranking in Q1 of JCR and Top Journal of Zone 1 in Chinese Academy of Sciences. It specializes in the study of economic and policy issues related to the exploitation, production and use of minerals and fossil fuels.

Abstract: The swift development of digital technology in China, coupled with the escalating significance of coal resource utilization in the industrial sector, necessitates an investigation into the role of digital transformation in fostering the sustainable development of coal resources. We utilize the Spatial Dubin Model (SDM) to analyze data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2011 and 2019, exploring the relationship between digital transformation and coal utilization efficiency. Additionally, the research investigates spatial spillover effects and the moderating effect mechanism at play. Key findings reveal that: Firstly, a noteworthy positive correlation exists between digital transformation and coal utilization efficiency. Secondly, digital transformation yields significant positive impacts on proximate cities. Lastly, analysis of moderating effects indicates that digital development policies can enhance the positive association between digital transformation and coal utilization efficiency. These findings furnish novel insights and avenues for regions seeking to propel sustainable development in coal resource utilization.

Keywords: Coal utilization efficiency, Digital transformation, Spatial econometric models, Moderating effects

Link：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.104940

Teacher profile

Xiaohang Ren is a specially appointed associate professor at the Business School of Central South University, a highly cited Chinese scholar of Elsevier, and a top 2% scientist in the world. He mainly focuses on research in energy finance, financial risks, and financial measurement. He has published more than 100 papers in authoritative domestic and foreign journals such as Journal of the American Statistical Association, Transportation Research Part A, Energy Economics, Quantitative Finance, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, International Review of Financial Analysis, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Business Strategy and the Environment, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Applied Energy, Resources Policy, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Review, Energy, Journal of Management Sciences in China (English Edition), Systems Engineering - Theory & Practice, and Chinese Journal of Management Science. Among them, more than 30 papers are ESI hot articles or highly cited papers. He serves as the lead editor of Sustainable Communities (Taylor & Francis), associate editor of Humanities & Social Sciences Communications (the only social science and humanities journal affiliated with Nature), and guest editor of SSCI journals such as Climate Change Economics, Economic Change and Restructuring.