The recent rapid increase in Internet data traffic and use of digital technologies—observed during the pandemic and forecasted as a consequence of the massive digital transition occurring in the world economies—are feeding concerns about the related possible negative environmental impacts, in terms of both energy consumption and Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emissions. We contribute to such debate by analysing the relation between two different digitalization dimensions, namely fixed and mobile broadband connections penetration, and CO₂ emissions at the country level. Our paper provides empirical evidence, based on a panel of 35 OECD countries, that higher fixed and mobile broadband penetration levels are associated with lower levels of CO₂ emissions, according to an Environmental Kuznets Curve-type relation. Moreover, we investigate whether the environmental effects of these two digitalization dimensions differ across high- and low-income OECD countries. By adopting fixed-effects models and fixed-effects two-stage least square estimators, the results, besides substantiating the Kuznet’s hypothesis in both groups of nations, confirm that higher fixed and mobile broadband penetration levels are associated to a reduction of CO₂ emissions.

最近，互联网数据流量和数字技术的使用迅速增加——在大流行期间观察到，并预测这是世界经济中发生的大规模数字转型的结果——正在引发人们对能源和能源方面可能产生的相关负面环境影响的担忧。消耗量和二氧化碳 (CO ₂ ) 排放量。我们通过分析两个不同数字化维度（即固定和移动宽带连接普及率以及国家层面的CO ₂排放量）之间的关系，为此类辩论做出贡献。我们的论文基于 35 个 OECD 国家的小组提供了经验证据，表明较高的固定和移动宽带普及率与较低的 CO _{2水平相关}排放量，根据环境库兹涅茨曲线型关系。此外，我们还调查了高收入和低收入经合组织国家这两个数字化维度的环境影响是否有所不同。_{通过采用固定效应模型和固定效应两阶段最小二乘估计，结果除了证实了两组国家的库兹涅特假设外，还证实了较高的固定和移动宽带普及水平与 CO 2}排放量的减少有关。