The Path to Low Carbon: The Impact of Network Infrastructure Construction on Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction

Abstract

Energy conservation and emission reduction are important ways to cope with global warming. An analysis of energy conservation and emission reduction from the perspective of network infrastructure construction provides an important perspective for the study of sustainable development. Based on the research sample of 263 cities in China from 2006 to 2019, and taking the policy of “Broadband China” as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper uses the double difference model to evaluate the impact of network infrastructure construction on energy conservation and emission reduction. The results show that (1) the construction of network infrastructure can significantly improve the energy utilization rate and reduce carbon emissions intensity, which helps to promote energy conservation and emission reduction. (2) From the perspective of a functional mechanism, on the one hand, network infrastructure construction affects energy conservation and emission reduction through micro-mechanisms such as green technology innovation and energy efficiency. On the other hand, network infrastructure construction also drives the development of the Internet and the digital economy, and promotes energy conservation and emission reduction through macro-mechanisms such as industrial structure and financial development. (3) The heterogeneity analysis shows that network infrastructure construction in non-resource-based cities, eastern regions and low-carbon cities has a greater impact on energy conservation and emission reduction. This study provides a new perspective for achieving low-carbon development goals.