网络基础设施建设与经济低碳发展——基于“宽带中国”战略的准自然实验

Network Infrastructure Construction and Low-carbon Economic Development——Quasi Natural Experiment Based on“Broadband China”Strategy

本文将“宽带中国”战略试点政策视为准自然实验,采用2004~2020年地级市面板数据,建立渐近双重差分模型,研究网络基础设施对地区碳排放的影响及其作用机制。实证研究发现,“宽带中国”战略试点政策能显著降低地区碳排放,平均而言,“宽带中国”战略试点政策使得试点地区碳排放下降约12.31个百分点。异质性检验发现,“宽带中国”战略试点政策降低碳排放的政策效果在东部地区、碳排放量高的地区显著。机制检验发现,技术创新和产业结构升级是“宽带中国”战略试点政策降低碳排放的主要机制。

This paper regards the pilot policy of“Broadband China”strategy as a quasi natural experiment,and uses the panel data of prefecture level cities from 2004 to 2020 to establish an asymptotic difference-in-difference model to study the impact of network infrastructure on regional carbon emissions and its mechanism.The empirical study found that the pilot policy of the“Broadband China”strategy can significantly reduce regional carbon emissions.On average,the pilot policy of the“Broadband China”strategy reduced the carbon emissions of the pilot areas by about 12.31 percentage points.The heterogeneity test found that the policy effect of the pilot policy of“Broadband China”strategy on reducing carbon emissions was significant in the eastern region and regions with high carbon emissions.The mechanism test found that technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading are the main mechanisms for reducing carbon emissions of the“Broadband China”strategy pilot policy.