Impact of Digital Economy Development on Carbon Emissions an Empirical Study based on 15 RCEP Countries

Abstract

The environmental problems caused by global warming have made low-carbon development a focus of attention worldwide. At the same time, the digital economy based on the Internet, big data, cloud computing, and other new technologies have become an important force in driving the country's economic development. Can the digital economy contribute to low-carbon development while driving the computing infrastructure? This paper selects 210 sample data points from 15 RCEP countries from 2005 to 2018 and uses OLS robust standard error regression to study the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions and its mechanism of action. It is found that there is a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between the digital economy and carbon emissions, while the dual effects of the digital economy and the level of information infrastructure have a suppressive effect on carbon emissions. Based on the above research results, the following insights are proposed: strengthen the dual development of the digital economy and information infrastructure in RECP countries; enhance the research and development of digital economy products; and improve technological support capabilities.