The Effects of Broadband Infrastructure on Carbon Emission Efficiency of Resource-Based Cities in China: A Quasi-Natural Experiment from the “Broadband China” Pilot Policy

Resource-based cities (RBCs) face serious environmental pollution, and there are efforts to try to overcome those challenges by transforming industrial structure through investing in new technologies. Based on the panel data of 114 prefecture-level resource-based cities in China, this paper uses the difference-in-differences (DID) method to identify the effects of the “Broadband China” pilot policy on the carbon emission efficiency of resource-based cities. The results show that the “Broadband China” pilot policy has a significant effect on the improvement of carbon emission efficiency of resource-based cities, and the results are still valid after parallel trend test, PSM-DID estimation and placebo test. This study also finds that there are differences in the carbon emission efficiency of different locations and types of resource-based cities. In addition, the results of the mechanism analysis show that the “Broadband China” pilot policy can promote the improvement of carbon emission efficiency by promoting the upgrading of the industrial structure, the accumulation of human capital and the improvement of the level of urban innovation of resource-based cities. The findings provide a reference for China’s resource-based cities to develop the Broadband infrastructure, realize industrial upgrading, accumulate human capital and improve urban innovation level, and promote low-carbon transformation and improve carbon emission efficiency.