The influence of the level of information infrastructure development on carbon emissions

Abstract

More and more conventional infrastructure construction leads to an increasement in global carbon emissions due to the release of carbon. However, it is not clear whether the information infrastructure promotes or inhibits carbon emissions. Consequently, this study examines how information infrastructure at the provincial level affects carbon emissions in China. The study used a set of two-way fixed-effect models using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces and municipalities from 2013 to 2021.These findings indicate a continuous improvement in the overall progress of information infrastructure development, yet there is also a widening gap between the highest and lowest extremes. Moreover, the level of information infrastructure development in the eastern region clearly surpasses western region’s to a substantial extent. In addition, empirical research has found that there exists a clear "inverted U-shaped" relationship between information infrastructure and carbon emissions. These findings offer both theoretical and empirical support for China's efforts in constructing an information infrastructure that can effectively achieve the "double carbon" strategy.