The impact of information and communication technology on carbon emissions in China: spatial effect and mechanism...

Information and communication technology (ICT) has exerted a great impact on the socio-economic development; however, this development has come with some potential influence on climate change. The academics are divided over this issue; some argue that ICT has contributed to carbon reduction, while others consider that ICT has increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Undoubtedly, the existing literature abounds in the relationship between ICT and CO₂ emissions, but little attention has been paid to the spillover effect of ICT and CO₂ emissions, especially in developing countries. Hence, with the panel data of 285 China's prefecture-level cities from 2004 to 2018, this study innovatively discusses the spatial and mechanism effects of ICT on CO₂ emissions, further exploring the heterogeneous impact of ICT on CO₂ emissions from multiple perspectives. The empirical results confirm the positive relationship between ICT and CO₂ emissions and identify the spatial spillover effect in the relationship. Furthermore, notably, the intermediary effect of energy consumption on the impact of ICT on CO₂ emissions is identified. Finally, due to the differences in the geographical position, population size, and urban agglomeration of prefecture-level cities in China, the impact of ICT on CO₂ emissions varies in different cities. The findings not only contribute to advancing the existing literature but also have a significant and targeted policy guiding significance for the cities to maximize the favorable influences of ICT and promote the low-carbon transformation of the whole society.