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Can collaborative innovation constrain ecological footprint? Empirical evidence from Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China

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Abstract

Collaborative innovation can promote scientific productivity and the development of clean technology and thus has a great potential in constraining the ecological footprint. However, current studies on the impact of collaborative innovation on ecological footprint are insufficient, and results remain controversial. To better understand these impacts, this paper took Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China as a case, estimated the ecological footprint at the municipal level from 2008 to 2018, measured collaborative innovation both from four dimensions and from a composite approach, then applied threshold regression models to compare the impact of collaborative innovation on the ecological footprint across different economic intervals. The findings showed that: the ecological footprint of the Greater Bay Area displayed an overall upward trend with prominent spatial heterogeneity. The impact of collaborative innovation on the ecological footprint presented a double-threshold effect when examined with different indicators. Among which, the flow of scientific personnel and capital boosted the ecological footprint, which intensified with economic development, while collaboration in technology exerted significant inhibitory effects on ecological footprint, and the influence of inter-city knowledge collaboration was limited. Overall, collaborative innovation inhibited ecological footprint when measured by a composite index. This might inspire policymakers to adopt sustainable strategies depending on the type of collaborative innovation and the economic status of the city to constrain growth of the ecological footprint, thus minimizing the pressures of human activities on the environment and moving towards a more carbon neutral society.

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Data availability

The datasets used and analysed during the current study are available from the first author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We highly appreciate the constructive comments and suggestions from the editors and reviewers that helped improved this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Number 42001126]; and Fujian Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science [Grant Number FJ2020C035].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    **aojun You & Qixiang Li

  2. Institute of Geographical Research, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    **aojun You

  3. Data Lab, Tufts Technology Services, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA

    Kyle M. Monahan

  4. Institute of Central China Development, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Fei Fan & Haiqian Ke

  5. Institute of Regional and Urban-Rural Development, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Fei Fan & Haiqian Ke

  6. School of Public Finance and Administration, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai, 201620, China

    Na Hong

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Contributions

Conceptualization, X.Y., F.F., and N.H.; data curation, H.K. and Q.L.; funding acquisition, X.Y.; methodology, X.Y., F.F., and H.K.; project administration, X.Y., K.M., and N.H.; writing—original draft, X.Y., Q.L., and K.M.; writing—review and editing, X.Y.

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Correspondence to Na Hong.

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You, X., Li, Q., Monahan, K.M. et al. Can collaborative innovation constrain ecological footprint? Empirical evidence from Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 54476–54491 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19648-3

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