Impact of Economic Development and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Urban Green Innovation in Selected Cities of China’s Yangtze River Delta
Junlong Tian
*
School of Economics, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Against the background of global low-carbon transition and China’s high-quality development strategy, urban green innovation has become a core driving force for sustainable economic growth. Taking 41 cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta from 2009 to 2022 as the research sample, this study constructs a panel data fixed-effects model to empirically examine the impact of economic development and foreign direct investment (FDI) on urban green innovation, and further explores the mediating role of human capital in this relationship. The results show that both economic development and FDI have a significant positive impact on urban green innovation in the Yangtze River Delta, and human capital plays a significant mediating role between economic development and green innovation. This study enriches the theoretical framework of the influencing factors of urban green innovation, and provides empirical evidence and policy references for promoting green innovation and high-quality urban development in the Yangtze River Delta and other urban agglomerations.
Keywords: Economic development, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), urban green innovation, human capital