National information consumption demonstration city construction and urban green development: A quasi-experiment from Chinese cities

Modern cities are the primary sources of carbon dioxide and pollutant emissions, and information technology is a crucial component of city development. To promote the dispersion of information consumption, China constructed an information consumption demonstration city (ICDC) in 2015; however, the impact of ICDC policies on green city development remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of ICDC policies on city-level carbon dioxide and pollutant emissions. Based on panel data of 204 cities in China from 2010 to 2019, a quasi-experiment method was adopted to evaluate the effects of the ICDC policy on CO2 and SO2 emissions using a difference-in-differences model. The results indicated a significant effect of ICDC policies on green development, reducing urban CO2 and SO2 growth rates by 36% and 31%, respectively. This conclusion was validated using several robustness tests. The mechanism analysis revealed that ICDC policies increased government spending on science and technology, reduced passenger traffic volumes, and promoted the city's digital finance development but had a negative impact on innovative research and development. This study provides novel insights for assessing the externalities of ICDC policies and promoting a city's green and low-carbon development.