The Effects of the Digital Economy on Carbon Emission: Evidence from China

ABSTRACT

This study used Chinese provincial panel data from 2011 to 2019 to analyze the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions and the mediating effect of industrial structure. The key findings are as follows: (1) industrial structure has a mediating effect on the influence of the digital economy on carbon emissions; (2) the direct impact of the digital economy on local carbon emissions is greater than the indirect impact on nearby carbon emissions; and (3) the digital economy has a noticeable effect on carbon emissions in the eastern and central regions of China, but not in the western region.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital economy
• carbon emissions
• industrial structure
• mediating effects

JEL:

• Q56

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Prof. Yueqin Lan acknowledges the financial support received from the National Social Science Foundation of China [Grant NO. 20CJL028 and 21BZZ069] and Project Social Science Foundation Jiangsu Province [Grant No. 22GLB026].