Does Information Infrastructure Promote Low-Carbon Development? Evidence from the “Broadband China” Pilot Policy

While information infrastructure has remarkably boosted global economic prosperity in the last several decades, how it propels low-carbon development has failed to draw enough attention. Based on panel data from 284 cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this study used the “Broadband China” pilot policy as an exogenous event to examine the impact of information infrastructure on carbon emission intensity. We found the following: (1) The “Broadband China” pilot policy significantly reduced carbon emission intensity, which held true in a series of robustness tests. (2) Promoting the development of the service sector, encouraging innovation activities, and fostering low-carbon lifestyles are the influential mechanisms by which information infrastructure reduced carbon emission intensity. (3) The population size, administration rank, marketization, industrialization, and informatization base significantly strengthened the reduction effect of information infrastructure on carbon emission intensity, while the disparity in human capital does not cause an evident difference. This paper’s findings reveal a counting path through which improving information infrastructure advances low-carbon and sustainable growth.