The Study Of Digital Economy’s Effects On Carbon Emission Reduction In Chinese Cities

Digitization and greenization are both effective paths for building a new development pattern.The integration of informationization,networking,digitization,intellectualization and green economy are powerful means of reducing carbon emissions.Digital technology is deeply integrating with various sectors of society,becoming a key engine and important foundation for economic and social transformation and upgrading.The digital economy has become a core driving force for promoting green and high-quality economic development in China.Cities,as the main carriers of national development and achieving the "dual carbon" target,should build an ecological system that integrates digital and green development.Therefore,studying the impact of digital economic development on carbon emissions is of great significance for seizing the opportunities of digital economic development,and realizing the development goals of "peak carbon" and "carbon neutrality".This dissertation takes the impact of digital economic development on urban carbon emissions intensity as its research theme.The paper analyzes the development status of digital economic development and carbon emissions in various Chinese cities,and focuses on studying the impact mechanism of digital economic development on carbon emissions intensity.Based on the observations of 211 cities in China from 2011 to 2019,the dissertation conducts an empirical analysis of how digital economic development affects carbon emissions intensity.Based on the theoretical and empirical analysis results,the dissertation proposes policy recommendations on how digital economic development can promote carbon reduction in Chinese cities.This paper is organized into five parts.Firstly,it reviews the relevant theories regarding the impact of digital economy development on carbon emissions reduction.Secondly,it measures the level of digital economy development and carbon emissions,and provides an analysis of the current status of these.Thirdly,it analyzes the digital economy’s impact on carbon emissions intensity.Fourthly,it presents an empirical analysis of the relationship between China’s digital economy and carbon emissions intensity.Lastly,it provides recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders.The findings of this study suggest that the digital economy is in a growing trend,and the carbon emissions intensity is currently trending downward.The development of the digital economy can significantly alleviate urban carbon emissions intensity through promoting green innovation,optimizing energy structure,and improving the efficiency of industrial resource allocation.Moreover,the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions intensity varies by region.The development level of the digital economy in the eastern region is higher than that in other regions.Besides,the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions intensity is relatively less in the central and western regions.However,the coefficient of the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions intensity is greater in the central and western regions,indicating that the development of the digital economy has a greater potential for carbon emissions reduction in these regions.In addition,the government’s efforts to create a better market-oriented environment are critical for promoting carbon emissions reduction through the digital economy.