An Analysis of Carbon Leakage Effects of Smart City Construction

Abstract

Abstract: Smart city construction can not only improve the efficiency of resource allocation, but also have an important impact on urban carbon emissions and carbon leakage. Through the construction of an economic theory model and the application of the relevant data from 285 prefecture level cities in China from 2009 to 2019, this paper conducts a study. The findings show that the construction of smart cities has significantly reduced carbon emissions in the local area and has a positive carbon leakage effect on other regions, mainly manifested as carbon leakage to other cities (within the regions) within the province, while there is no significant carbon leakage effect between inter provincial cities (between regions). There are significant differences in the carbon leakage characteristics exhibited by cities of different scales in the construction of smart cities. Both small and large cities show a positive carbon leakage effect, with the carbon leakage of small cities occurring within the region, while that of large cities is reflected between regions. The medium sized cities have insignificant carbon leakage effects due to the mutual cancellation of positive effects within the region and the negative effects between regions. The resource based cities exhibit significant positive carbon leakage effects in the construction of smart cities, and the positive effects within the region are significantly stronger than the negative effects between regions, while the carbon leakage effects of non resource based cities are not significant. The construction of smart cities has promoted green technology innovation and industrial structure upgrading, which in turn has triggered carbon leakage effects. These results imply that in the process of smart city construction, measures should be tailored to local conditions to prevent carbon leakage, and regional coordination should be strengthened to jointly promote the carbon reduction work.

Key words: smart city construction, carbon emission reduction effect, carbon leakage effect

CLC Number:

F061.5

Wang Jun, Hao Si-min. An Analysis of Carbon Leakage Effects of Smart City Construction[J]. Contemporary Finance & Economics, 2025, 0(4): 18-29.

References

[1] 陈智颖, 许林, 钱崇秀. 碳排放权交易与碳泄漏: 促进抑或遏制?[J]. 中央财经大学学报, 2023, (12): 3-20.
[2] 干春晖, 郑若谷, 余典范. 中国产业结构变迁对经济增长和波动的影响[J]. 经济研究, 2011, (5): 4-16+31.
[3] 陆菁, 鄢云, 黄先海. 规模依赖型节能政策的碳泄漏效应研究[J]. 中国工业经济, 2022, (9): 64-82.
[4] 石大千, 丁海, 卫平, 等. 智慧城市建设能否降低环境污染[J]. 中国工业经济, 2018, (6): 117-135.
[5] 王守坤, 范文诚. 数字普惠金融与碳减排——基于中国县级数据的实证分析[J]. 当代财经, 2022, (11): 53-64.
[6] 吴建新, 郭智勇. 基于连续性动态分布方法的中国碳排放收敛分析[J]. 统计研究, 2016, (1): 54-60.
[7] 徐斌, 柯达, 刘杨倩宇. 中国区域一体化如何影响碳排放效率[J]. 当代财经, 2023, (1): 120-131.
[8] 徐佳, 崔静波. 低碳城市和企业绿色技术创新[J]. 中国工业经济, 2020, (12): 178-196.
[9] 余东华, 张鑫宇, 孙婷. 资本深化、有偏技术进步与全要素生产率增长[J]. 世界经济, 2019, (8): 50-71.
[10] 赵建军, 贾鑫晶. 智慧城市建设能否推动城市产业结构转型升级?——基于中国285个地级市的“准自然实验”[J]. 产经评论, 2019, (5): 46-60.
[11] 张治栋, 赵必武. 智慧城市建设对城市经济高质量发展的影响——基于双重差分法的实证分析[J]. 软科学, 2021, (11): 65-70+129.
[12] Ahvenniemi H, Huovila A, Pinto-Sepp I, et al.What are the differences between sustainable and smart cities?[J]. Cities, 2017, 60(2): 234-245.
[13] Awan A, Abbasi K R, Rej S, et al.The impact of renewable energy, internet use and foreign direct investment on carbon dioxide emissions: A method of moments quantile analysis[J]. Renewable Energy, 2022, 189: 454-466.
[14] Chen S X, Ding D L, Shi G H, et al.Digital economy, industrial structure, and carbon emissions: An empirical study based on a provincial panel data set from China[J]. Chinese Journal of Population, Resources and Environment, 2022, 20(4): 316-323.
[15] Cheng Y, Zhang Y, Wang J J, et al.The impact of the urban digital economy on China’s carbon intensity: Spatial spillover and mediating effect[J/OL]. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2023, 189: 106762.
[16] Dixit A K, Stiglitz J E.Monopolistic competition and optimum product diversity[J]. American Economic Review, 1977, 67(3): 297-308.
[17] Felder S, Rutherford T F.Unilateral CO2 reductions and carbon leakage: The consequences of international trade in oil and basic materials[J]. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 1993, 25: 162-176.
[18] Guo Q B, Wang Y, Dong X B.Effects of smart city construction on energy saving and CO2 emission reduction: Evidence from China[J/OL]. Applied Energy, 2022, 313: 118879.
[19] Jakob M.Why carbon leakage matters and what can be done against it[J]. One Earth, 2021, 4(5): 609-614.
[20] Kim M, Kim T.Estimating impact of regional greenhouse gas initiative on coal to gas switching using synthetic control methods[J]. Energy Economics, 2016, 59: 328-35.
[21] Li P, Lu Y, Wang J.Does Flattening Government Improve Economic Performance? Evidence from China[J]. Journal of Development Economics, 2016, 123: 18-37.
[22] Li Z G, Wang J.The dynamic impact of digital economy on carbon emission reduction: Evidence city-level empirical data in China[J/OL]. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2022, 351: 131570.
[23] Naegele H, Zaklan A.Does the EU ETS cause carbon leakage in European manufacturing?[J]. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2019, 93: 125-147.
[24] Paroussos L, Fragkos P, Capros P, et al.Assessment of carbon leakage through the industry channel: The EU perspective[J]. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2015, 90: 204-219.
[25] Song T, Dian J, Chen H C.Can smart city construction improve carbon productivity?--A quasi-natural experiment based on China’s smart city pilot[J/OL]. Sustainable Cities and Society, 2023, 92: 104478.
[26] Yi M, Liu Y, Sheng M S, et al.Effects of digital economy on carbon emission reduction: New evidence from China[J/OL]. Energy Policy, 2022, 171: 113271.
[27] Zhou B, Zhang C, Wang Q W, et al.Does emission trading lead to carbon leakage in China? Direction and channel identifications[J/OL]. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2020, 132: 110090.