Zhou Xiaoyong, Hang Ye, Zhou Dequn, Ang B W, Wang Qunwei, Su Bin, Zhou Peng
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
College of Management, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin, China.
iScience. 2022 Nov 17;25(12):105604. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105604. eCollection 2022 Dec 22.
The expansion of information and communications technology (ICT) trade has contributed to rising trade imbalances and international tensions. A detailed assessment of the potential carbon and economic impacts of ICT trade is pertinent. We assess to what extent and how the carbon costs and economic benefits embodied in ICT trade were unevenly distributed among global regions in the period 2000-2018 using multiregional input-output models. We show that in 2018, emerging economies received 82% of the CO emissions while developed economies gained 42% of the value-added in ICT exports. This carbon-economic inequality (CEI) decreased (i.e., improved) by 16% from 2000 to 2018, arising from global production fragmentation, with developed economies retaining downstream high value-added ICT marketing but outsourcing upper- and middle-stream carbon-intensive material extraction and manufacturing to emerging economies. This study provides insights for enhancing negotiations and cooperation among global regions to light a path toward sustainable ICT trade.
信息通信技术（ICT）贸易的扩张加剧了贸易失衡，引发了国际紧张局势。因此，详细评估ICT贸易对碳和经济的潜在影响十分必要。我们利用多区域投入产出模型，评估了2000年至2018年期间，ICT贸易中蕴含的碳成本和经济效益在全球各地区之间的分配不均衡程度和方式。我们发现，2018年，新兴经济体承担了82%的碳排放，而发达经济体则在ICT出口的增值中获得了42%。由于全球生产碎片化，这种碳经济不平等（CEI）在2000年至2018年间下降（即有所改善）了16%，发达经济体保留了下游高附加值的ICT营销环节，但将中上游碳密集型材料提取和制造环节外包给了新兴经济体。本研究为加强全球各地区之间的谈判与合作提供了思路，以推动可持续ICT贸易的发展。
