AUTHOR=Ding Yuan , Yang Yalan 

TITLE=The influence of digital development on China’s carbon emission efficiency: In the view of economic and environmental balance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Environmental Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1075890

DOI=10.3389/fenvs.2023.1075890

ISSN=2296-665X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Introduction:</bold> With the worsening global climate problem, carbon peak and carbon neutrality have become crucial objects to realize sustainable development. Regarded as the engine of economic development in the new era, it is worth exploring whether digitalization could contribute to carbon goals. Meanwhile, carbon reduction should not be advocated at the cost of economic recession and contains the risk of reversal when the economy renews in growth.</p><p><bold>Material and Methods:</bold> This paper evaluates carbon efficiency using the total factor non-radial directional distance function, which reflects the economic performance and environmental performance of 246 China’s prefecture-level cities during 2011–2019. Fixed effect and mediation effect models are used to explore the non-linear relationship and transmission channels between digital development and carbon efficiency.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> It is found that: 1) digital development would hinder carbon efficiency first and then promote it after reaching a certain level; 2) digital development could indirectly affect carbon efficiency through industrial agglomeration, industrial structure upgrading, and industrial electricity productivity in non-linear ways. 3) Heterogeneity exists in the relationship between digital development and carbon efficiency due to different regions and development types.</p><p><bold>Discussion:</bold> Due to digital development itself having high carbon-negative externalities at the initial stage, its impact on carbon efficiency is complex and non-liner even when decomposing through multiple channels. A well-structured development strategy is needed during the digitalization process in order to prompt carbon efficiency.</p>