Does the construction of network infrastructure reduce environmental pollution?—evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in “Broadband China”

Abstract

This paper discusses the effect of network infrastructure on environmental pollution reduction and the realization mechanism behind it. Based on the panel data of 285 cities in China from 2005 to 2019, this study regards the “Broadband China” pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment to clarify the pollution emission reduction effect of network infrastructure construction through differences-in-differences method and other methods. The research results show the following: (1) The Broadband China pilot policy has reduced environmental pollution, that is, the construction of network infrastructure has the effect of environmental pollution reduction. The conclusion is still established after a series of robustness tests such as parallel trend test, placebo test, and instrumental variable method. Through the heterogeneity test, it is found that the pollution reduction effect of network infrastructure construction is more obvious in non-resource-based cities, first and second tier cities, and cities in the eastern region (2). The construction of network infrastructure plays a restraining role on local environmental pollution. Due to the insufficient level of regional linkage and the siphon effect of pilot cities, the spatial spillover characteristics of the pollution reduction effect are not obvious (3). The mechanism of action shows that green innovation is an important mediating effect mechanism for network infrastructure construction to reduce environmental pollution. Cities in regions with high degree of marketization and environmental regulation can strengthen the effect of network infrastructure construction on environmental pollution reduction. The research conclusions are conducive to accelerating the development of the digital economy represented by the construction of network infrastructure and provide a useful reference for promoting the level of environmental pollution reduction and achieving high-quality development.

Can artificial intelligence achieve carbon neutrality? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment

“…First, from the production perspective, network communication technology breaks the time-space constraints based on traditional means of production (Zou and Pan, 2022). Enterprises can exchange product information or professional and technical personnel through digital platforms (Henderson, 1997).…”

“…Second, in all facets of business production and operation, technologies like AI, IoT, and big data have been widely utilized. The network infrastructure improvement is conducive to establishing a green digital platform for traditional production enterprises (Zou and Pan, 2022). Thus, big data technology is used to obtain consumers' preference for green products, and assist enterprises in green R&D and production decisions (Benzidia et al, 2021;Zhu Z. et al, 2022).…”

The impact of computing infrastructure on carbon emissions: an empirical study based on china national supercomputing center

“…Discussion, conclusion, and policy implications 6.1. Discussion and conclusion Regarding the impact of digitalization on the environment, existing literatures examined it from the perspective of specific digital technology including the Internet and big data (Yang et al 2021, Wang et al 2022b, Wang et al 2022c, as well as regional policies that assess the effect of smart city and broadband network infrastructure on the environment (Zou and Pan 2022, Liu et al 2023, Wu et al 2023. Alternatively, discussions have been conducted on the impact of digital economy (Wang et ecosystem consisting of a series of different, complementary, and interrelated knowledge and technology components, and these heterogeneous digital technologies may have different impacts on the environment.…”

“…Like other emerging technologies, the impact of digital technology on the environment is a hotly debated topic. Advocates argue that digitalization is a solution to sustainability issues (Wang et al 2022a, Fu et al 2022, Luo et al 2022, Zou and Pan 2022, Liu et al 2023. As the critical pillar of the digital economy, digital infrastructure is a vital driver of industrial green transformation.…”

“…Due to the spillover effect of knowledge, upgrading of the industrial structure is promoted, and digital new business models increase the share of high-tech industries with lower pollutant emissions in the industrial sector (Luo et al 2022, Han et al 2022, Wu et al 2023, Park et al 2023. Of course, knowledge spillover can also be reflected in the innovation of green technology (Zou and Pan 2022, Wang et al 2022b, Wu et al 2023. On the contrary, critics argue that the mass production of digital devices make digital technology the main consumer of materials (Jin et al 2022, Bianchini et al 2022.…”