Digital economy and carbon rebound effect: Evidence from Chinese cities

It is theoretical and practical significance to incorporate the digital economy (DE) into the measurement framework of carbon rebound effect (CRE) for the accurate measurement of the current CRE of Chinese cities. Based on Chinese city-level data from 2011 to 2019, this study innovatively incorporates DE as a driver of carbon emissions, measures the urban CRE in DE through an improved stochastic frontier (SFA) model of carbon emissions, and further explores the formation mechanism of DE to induce the CRE of Chinese cities. When the DE was integrated into the measurement framework of the CRE, the CRE of Chinese cities ranged from 40.7% to 99.1%, with a mean value of 58.4%, indicating that the actual carbon reduction in Chinese cities under the DE was only approximately 40% of that expected. Meanwhile, the CRE of Chinese cities is characterized by cyclical fluctuations and a spatial distribution pattern of “inland to coastal decreasing,” and the polarization effect gradually appears. It is worth noting that the DE significantly contributed to CRE. It will enhance energy efficiency and promote economic growth, which will increase energy consumption through the “substitution effect,” “income effect,” and “output effect,” thus inducing and expanding the urban CRE.