STEMM Institute Press
Science, Technology, Engineering, Management and Medicine
The Effect of Digital Governance on Urban Carbon Emission Intensity: Evidence from China’s “Information for All”
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jel.202514304
Author(s)
Boyan Li
Affiliation(s)
School of Economics and Management, North China University of Technology, Beijing, China
Abstract
Under the strategic framework of China’s dual carbon targets, numerous cities have accelerated efforts toward ecological transformation. Digital governance, as a tool aimed at enhancing public sector efficiency, has seen increasing adoption; however, its direct influence on carbon emissions has yet to be thoroughly assessed through quantitative methods. Drawing on panel data from Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above for the years 2006 to 2021, this paper applies a Difference-in-Differences approach, taking the 2014 launch of the national “Information Benefiting the People” initiative as a quasi-natural experiment. The empirical results indicate that the implementation of the pilot led to a notable reduction in urban carbon emission intensity. These findings are consistent across a range of robustness checks. Further analysis reveals that digital governance contributes to emission reductions primarily by enhancing the effectiveness of environmental regulation. Additionally, heterogeneity tests suggest that the emission reduction effects are more significant in eastern regions, larger urban centers. The study offers evidence-based support for aligning digital transformation with low-carbon urban development.
Keywords
Digital Governance; Carbon emissions; Difference-in-Differences; Environmental Regulation
References
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