How data factor marketisation promotes green and clean energy adoption: The influence of fossil energy use and green technological innovation

作者：Yi Xu, Fang Zhao, Li Yang · 发表于：Journal of Innovation & Knowledge · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1016/j.jik.2026.101025 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Energy, Environment, Economic Growth、Sustainability and Climate Change Governance、Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Amidst the global energy transition and the emergence of the data-driven economy, data factor marketisation has become a crucial factor in accelerating the adoption of clean and green energy—a crucial step towards achieving sustainable development goals. This study systematically examines how data factor marketisation influences clean energy uptake and elucidates the underlying mechanisms from an innovation and knowledge perspective. Via implementing rigorous empirical strategies using panel data from China’s provincial administrative regions covering the 2012–2022 period, we demonstrate that data factor marketisation notably enhances green and clean energy adoption, and the conclusions remain robust following a series of tests. Mechanism analysis reveals two distinct pathways through which this effect operates wherein data marketisation alleviates the crowding-out effect of conventional energy by reducing fossil energy consumption, establishing structural space for clean energy integration and actively fosters green technological innovation, improving the maturity and cost-effectiveness of clean energy technologies and facilitating their widespread deployment. These insights emphasise the influence of data-driven innovation on building knowledge-intensive energy systems. Notably, we identify compelling regional heterogeneity, in which the effect of data marketisation is stronger in regions with lower economic development, a smaller tertiary sector and weaker environmental re...