Impact of internet development on transportation carbon emissions: Evidence from China

The development of the internet is of great significance for carbon reduction in the transportation sector. Drawing on panel data from 31 provinces in China spanning 2011 to 2021, we present novel evidence from the transportation sector. We construct an internet development assessment system comprising 18 indicators and compute an internet development index from four dimensions. Employing OLS, mediation analysis, and dynamic threshold panel models, we validate the relationship between the internet development index and carbon emissions in the transportation sector. Results indicate a significant increase in transportation sector carbon emissions with internet development, with a 0.072% rise in emissions for every 1% increase in the internet development index. This is primarily attributed to the influence of internet development on increasing internet shopping, vehicle ownership, and travel scale. Importantly, in regions with higher transportation sector carbon emissions, such as Shanghai, internet development may also lead to emission reductions. Thus, the Chinese government should pay particular attention to strategically employing internet technology in different regions, leveraging its technical advantages to promote carbon emission reduction strategies in the transportation sector.