RETRACTED ARTICLE: Does digital financing influence renewable energy performance in China?

The objective of this study is to examine how digital finance influences renewable energy performance in China. Empirical data from China between 2007 and 2019 is used to evaluate the relationship among these variables. The study uses two techniques, quantile regression (QR) and generalized methods of moments (GMM), to draw empirical conclusions. The results reveal that digital finance significantly influences the renewable energy performance, ecological growth, and financial performance of cities in China. Specifically, digital finance accounts for 45.92% of the variation in renewable energy indicators, 27.60% in ecological growth, and 24.39% in the improved financial performance of renewable energy at the city level. The study also observes that the city-level score for digital finance, renewable energy, and other indicators is heterogeneous in movement. Factors contributing to this heterogeneity include high population (16.05%), access to digital banking (23.11%), province-level renewable energy performance (39.62%), household financial stability (22.04%), and household renewable energy literacy (8.47%). Based on these findings, the study recommends practical implications for key stakeholders.