Digital Economy, Carbon Emissions and High-Quality Economic Development

Abstract

Under the urgent needs of economic development, the digital economy has gradually become a key force to help Chinese economy achieve “corner overtaking”. In theory, this paper analyzed the role of digital economy in promoting high-quality economic development and the mediating role of carbon emission intensity. Empirically, this paper measured the comprehensive level of digital economy and high-quality development in 30 provinces in China (excluding Tibet) from 2011 to 2020, and built a model for testing on this basis. The study found that the digital economy significantly promoted high-quality economic development and passed the robustness test. The intermediary effect showed that the digital economy could play a boosting role in high-quality economic development by curbing carbon emission. Further, the regional heterogeneity test analysis found that the boost effect of digital economy gradually weakened in the eastern, central and western regions, and the boost effect was not obvious in the western region. Finally, according to the influence mechanism and the conclusion of regional heterogeneity, this paper put forward some specific suggestions to promote high-quality economic development.