TY - JOUR
T1 - Will researching digital technology really empower green development?
AU - Wang, Lei
AU - Chen, Yangyang
AU - Ramsey, Thomas Stephen
AU - Hewings, Geoffrey J.D.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 19ZDA054 ); YiChang Social Science Foundation (Grant No. ysk21kt019 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - The information industry has become a “new engine” driving the growth of the world economy. However, there are many controversies about whether digital technology can reduce the intensity of carbon emissions. Based on OECD data, KPWW method and multiple panel regression, this paper explores the impact and mechanism of digital technology innovation and technology spillover to the domestic carbon emission intensity. Through impulse response analysis and variance decomposition, the comprehensive impact of digital technology on carbon intensity is clarified. This paper concludes that technology innovation in the information industry will increase the intensity of carbon emissions, while cross-industry technology spillovers are persistent for reducing the intensity of domestic carbon emissions. Since the emission reduction effect of technology spillover is greater than the emission increase effect of technology innovation, the digital technology would empower domestic green development. Increasing the proportion of non-fossil energy use and optimizing the industrial structure are effective mechanisms for digital technology innovation to reduce carbon emission intensity.
AB - The information industry has become a “new engine” driving the growth of the world economy. However, there are many controversies about whether digital technology can reduce the intensity of carbon emissions. Based on OECD data, KPWW method and multiple panel regression, this paper explores the impact and mechanism of digital technology innovation and technology spillover to the domestic carbon emission intensity. Through impulse response analysis and variance decomposition, the comprehensive impact of digital technology on carbon intensity is clarified. This paper concludes that technology innovation in the information industry will increase the intensity of carbon emissions, while cross-industry technology spillovers are persistent for reducing the intensity of domestic carbon emissions. Since the emission reduction effect of technology spillover is greater than the emission increase effect of technology innovation, the digital technology would empower domestic green development. Increasing the proportion of non-fossil energy use and optimizing the industrial structure are effective mechanisms for digital technology innovation to reduce carbon emission intensity.
KW - Carbon emission intensity
KW - Digital technology
KW - Technology spillover
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U2 - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101638
DO - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101638
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85108351095
VL - 66
JO - Technology in Society
JF - Technology in Society
SN - 0160-791X
M1 - 101638
ER -