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Abstract：
In light of the recent worldwide scientific and technological revolution, it is imperative that urban infrastructure undergo a digital transformation in order to lower carbon emissions and support sustainable urban growth. However, to date, there is a lack of empirical research on carbon emissions based on the digital transformation of urban infrastructure. This paper uses data from 178 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2020 to study the impact of digital transformation of urban infrastructure on carbon emissions based on the \"local-neighbourhood\" perspective using a spatial difference-in-differences model. The results show that the digital transformation of urban infrastructure reduces the intensity of local carbon emissions while also reducing the carbon emissions of neighbouring cities, with a spatial spillover effect, and the boundary of this spatial spillover is 600 km. Mechanistic analyses suggest that digital transformation of urban infrastructure can reduce carbon emissions locally as well as in nearby areas by promoting green technological innovations. In light of this, this study has important policy implications for maximising the contribution of digital transformation of infrastructure to reducing carbon emissions.
摘要：
鉴于最近世界范围内的科学技术革命，城市基础设施必须进行数字化转型，以降低碳排放并支持可持续的城市增长。然而,到目前为止,缺乏基于城市基础设施数字化转型的碳排放实证研究。本文利用2005-2020年中国178个地级市的数据,基于“地方-邻里”视角,采用空间差异-差异模型,研究城市基础设施数字化改造对碳排放的影响。结果表明,城市基础设施数字化改造在降低本地碳排放强度的同时,也降低了邻近城市的碳排放,具有空间溢出效应，这种空间溢出的边界是600公里。机制分析表明，城市基础设施的数字化转型可以通过促进绿色技术创新来减少当地以及附近地区的碳排放。鉴于此,这项研究对于最大化基础设施数字化转型对减少碳排放的贡献具有重要的政策意义。
