Impact of industrial robots on environmental pollution: evidence from China

The application of industrial robots is considered a significant factor affecting environmental pollution. Selecting industrial wastewater discharge, industrial SO 2 emissions and industrial soot emissions as the evaluation indicators of environmental pollution, this paper uses the panel data model...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2023-11, Vol.13 (1), p.20769-20769, Article 20769
Main Author: Liu, Yanfang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/158
704/172
704/844
Clean technology
Emissions
Emissions control
Employment
Environmental impact
Environmental indicators
Heterogeneity
Humanities and Social Sciences
Industrial emissions
Industrial pollution
Industrial wastewater
multidisciplinary
Pollution
Pollution control
Robots
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sulfur dioxide
Wastewater
Wastewater discharges
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The application of industrial robots is considered a significant factor affecting environmental pollution. Selecting industrial wastewater discharge, industrial SO 2 emissions and industrial soot emissions as the evaluation indicators of environmental pollution, this paper uses the panel data model and mediation effect model to empirically examine the impact of industrial robots on environmental pollution and its mechanisms. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Industrial robots can significantly reduce environmental pollution. (2) Industrial robots can reduce environmental pollution by improving the level of green technology innovation and optimizing the structure of employment skills. (3) With the increase in emissions of industrial wastewater, industrial SO 2 , and industrial dust, the impacts generated by industrial robots are exhibiting trends of a “W” shape, gradual intensification, and progressive weakening. (4) Regarding regional heterogeneity, industrial robots in the eastern region have the greatest negative impact on environmental pollution, followed by the central region, and the western region has the least negative impact on environmental pollution. Regarding time heterogeneity, the emission reduction effect of industrial robots after 2013 is greater than that before 2013. Based on the above conclusions, this paper suggests that the Chinese government and enterprises should increase investment in the robot industry. Using industrial robots to drive innovation in green technology and optimize employment skill structures, reducing environmental pollution.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-47380-6