The impact of industrial robots application on air pollution in China: Mechanisms of energy use efficiency and green technological innovation

The battle against air pollution in China persists, and haze remains over cities. Whether industrial robots, as the core technology of intelligent manufacturing, can improve city air quality in the process of production has not been determined. Using the International Federation of Robotics data and Chinese city air pollution data (2013–2018), this study finds that industrial robots significantly reduce city air pollution levels (PM2.5, PM10, and SO(2)), which remains robust after addressing endogeneity. The mechanism of action lies in the synergistic benefits of industrial robots in reducing city air pollution levels by effectively improving energy use efficiency and promoting green technological innovation. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that industrial robots, as the incarnation of green technology, can be an effective alternative tool to green policies, such as low-carbon piloting, resource planning, and environmental regulation. This study empirically confirms that industrial robots are environment-friendly technologies that can provide new policy ideas to promote air pollution prevention and control in the industrialization process.