信息技术应用的减排效果与成本分摊机制

The Emission Reduction Effect and Cost Sharing Mechanism of Information Technology Applications

长期以来,经济效益与减排成本之间的冲突是环境规制难以在微观企业层面得以落实的关键障碍。本文借助国家级“两化融合”试验区实施的契机,基于由中国工业企业数据和污染排放数据匹配而成的新数据库,通过构建三重差分模型考察了试验区内重污染行业运用信息技术减排的效果及相应的成本分摊机制。本文研究发现:(1)信息技术应用显著降低了二氧化硫和烟粉尘两种主要工业污染物的排放强度;(2)信息技术的减排效应由生产工艺绿色化而非生产率效应驱动;(3)与“波特假说”的预期不同,信息技术并没有借由生产率效应补偿减排成本,而是基于自身规模报酬递增的特性令减排成本得到了分摊;(4)与试验区重污染行业存在投入—产出关联的下游行业减排强度没有受到影响,且试点行业也未将减排成本转嫁给下游行业;(5)试点绩效考核机制的引入有效地确保了重污染行业利用信息技术减排的效果,且利用信息技术减排能够弥补环境规制措施的不足。本文的结论为利用新一代信息技术实现工业绿色化转型,助力实现“双碳”目标提供了积极证据。

Over a long period,the conflict between economic benefits and emission reduction costs is the key obstacle for firms to comply with environmental regulation.Exploiting the implementation of the national pilot zones for integrating informatization and industrialization,and employing the new database matching the industrial enterprise data and pollution emission data,this paper constructs a DDD model to examine the emission reduction effect and cost allocation of IT in heavy pollution industry in the pilot area.The findings show that:(1)IT significantly reduces the emission intensity of sulfur dioxide and smoke and dust;(2)The emission reduction effect of IT is driven by the greening production process rather than the productivity effect;(3)In contrast to the“Porter Hypothesis”,IT does not compensate the emission reduction cost by the productivity effect,but dilutes it by increasing returns to scale;(4)The pollution emission intensity of downstream industries related to the heavily polluting industries in the pilot area has not been affected,and the pilot industries have not transferred the emission reduction cost to the downstream industries;(5)Pilot performance appraisal effectively ensures the emission reduction effect of IT in heavily polluting industries,and the use of IT in emission reduction can make up for the shortcomings of environmental regulation measures.Our conclusions provide supportive evidence for using the new generation of IT to realize the green transformation of industry and help realize goals for reducing carbon emissions.