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<p>Low-carbon transformation in the digital era is vital to sustainable economic growth. This study identifies the causal impact of digital infrastructure on total factor carbon productivity (TFCP) by exploiting the quasi-natural experiment of China’s Broadband China (BDC) pilot. Using panel data for 282 cities from 2006 to 2019, TFCP is estimated through a Data Envelopment Analysis model incorporating both desirable (GDP) and undesirable (CO₂) outputs. A staggered difference-in-differences design with modern staggered-DID diagnostics reveals that the BDC policy significantly raised TFCP by an average of 0.0208. Mechanism analysis shows that digitalization enhances carbon productivity through two policy-relevant channels: promoting green technological progress and facilitating industrial upgrading. The effects are stronger in cities with lower electrification levels and more developed green finance systems. These findings highlight digital infrastructure as a critical enabler of urban low-carbon transition and provide empirical support for integrating digital and environmental strategies in policy design.</p>

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Digital infrastructure and total factor carbon productivity: evidence from China's Broadband China pilot

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月4日

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  • Lan Xu,
  • Xiaoming Li,
  • Xin Deng,
  • Kuan Zhang

摘要

Low-carbon transformation in the digital era is vital to sustainable economic growth. This study identifies the causal impact of digital infrastructure on total factor carbon productivity (TFCP) by exploiting the quasi-natural experiment of China’s Broadband China (BDC) pilot. Using panel data for 282 cities from 2006 to 2019, TFCP is estimated through a Data Envelopment Analysis model incorporating both desirable (GDP) and undesirable (CO₂) outputs. A staggered difference-in-differences design with modern staggered-DID diagnostics reveals that the BDC policy significantly raised TFCP by an average of 0.0208. Mechanism analysis shows that digitalization enhances carbon productivity through two policy-relevant channels: promoting green technological progress and facilitating industrial upgrading. The effects are stronger in cities with lower electrification levels and more developed green finance systems. These findings highlight digital infrastructure as a critical enabler of urban low-carbon transition and provide empirical support for integrating digital and environmental strategies in policy design.