College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China; College of Management, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin, China
Ye Hang
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China; Research Centre for Soft Energy Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
Dequn Zhou
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China; Research Centre for Soft Energy Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
B.W. Ang
Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Qunwei Wang
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China; Research Centre for Soft Energy Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China; Corresponding author
Bin Su
Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Corresponding author
Peng Zhou
Research Centre for Soft Energy Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China; School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, China; Corresponding author
Summary: 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 CO2 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.
