The Effects of ICT on CO2 Emissions Along with Economic Growth, Trade Openness and Financial Development in Korea

This study investigated the impact of information and communication technology (ICT), trade openness, financial development, and economic growth on CO2 emissions in Korea from 1990 to 2016. The cointegration relationship of the variables was confirmed by an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test. In the long-run, economic growth was statistically significant factor in the increase in CO2 emissions, while other factors, as well as ICT, did not significant factors in the changes in CO2 emissions. In the long-run, a link between economic growth and CO2 emissions has been confirmed, but other factors, including ICT, have not been able to confirm the link between CO2 emissions in the long-run. Meanwhile, in the short-run, economic growth and ICT increased CO2 emissions, and financial development led to a decrease in CO2 emissions. Trade openness did not have a significant effect on CO2 emissions in the short-run as in the long-run. In particular, ICT did not contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the short-run as well as the long-run. In order to induce CO2 mitigation through ICT, the development and deployment of technology that efficiently save energy by using ICT should be further promoted.

본 연구는 1990년부터 2016년까지 한국의 정보통신기술(ICT), 무역 개방성, 금융 발전, 경제성장이 CO2 배출량에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 변수의 공적분관계는 Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL)공적분 검증을 통해 확인되었다. 장기적으로 경제성장과 CO2 배출 간에는 연관관계가 확인되었지만, ICT를 비롯한 다른 요인은 장기적으로 CO2 배출량과의 연관관계를 확인하지 못하였다. 한편, 단기적으로 경제성장, ICT는 CO2 배출량을 증가시켰으며, 금융발전은 CO2 배출량 감소를 가져왔다. 무역개방성은 장기와 마찬가지로 단기에도 CO2 배출량에 큰 영향을 미치지 못하였다. 특히 ICT는 장기뿐만 아니라 단기적으로도 CO2 배출량 감소에 기여하지 못하였다. ICT를 통한 CO2 감축을 유도하기 위해서는 ICT를 활용하여 효율적으로 에너지를 절약할 수 있는 기술의 개발과 보급이 더욱 촉진되어야 할 것이다.