Study on the impact of smart energy on carbon emissions in smart cities from single and holistic perspectives – Empirical evidence from China

Abstract

Smart energy, as an important component of smart cities and directly related to carbon emissions, plays a crucial role in smart cities to achieve carbon neutrality, but the theoretical research and empirical evidence on the impact of smart energy on carbon emissions in smart cities are limited. This paper investigates, from single and holistic perspectives, the effect of smart energy on smart city carbon emissions and potential mechanisms. Based on the panel data of 100 smart cities in China from 2014–2019, it uses synthetic difference-in-difference mode and spatial difference-in-difference mode to estimate the carbon emission reduction effect and test the potential mechanisms. The results show that: (1) Smart energy reduces carbon emissions in smart cities by an average of 5.65 %. (2) Smart energy reduces smart city carbon emissions mainly through mechanisms including optimizing energy structure and improving energy efficiency. (3) Smart energy in smart cities has a significant spatial carbon emission reduction effect. (4) Smart energy in smart cities influences holistic regional carbon emissions through spatial mechanisms including technology spillover, peer effect, and scale effect. Finally, this study provides quantitative evidence and valuable insights for cities in developing countries with similar backgrounds to China to design emission reduction paths and adjust smart city strategies.