Digital infrastructure construction and carbon emissions in administrative border areas–Evidence from China

Using city-level data, satellite night-time light data, and patent citation records from 2006 to 2020, we investigate how digital infrastructure development affects carbon emissions within administrative regions of China. We find that digital infrastructure significantly curbs local carbon emissions. Mechanism analysis indicates that knowledge spillovers and energy structure optimization are key channels through which this effect operates. Moreover, the emission-reduction effect is more pronounced in regions with lower levels of digital industrialization but higher degrees of industrial digitization.