Environmental impact of information and communication technology: Unveiling the role of education in developing countries

The penetration of information communication and technology (ICT) has increased in the developing world but there is still a huge gap between the need for ICT infrastructure and its availability. Alongside this, previous literature on ICT and CO2 emissions provides that ICT is a double-edged sword that can increase/decrease emissions. Against this background, this study checks the role of ICT and education with environmental quality by controlling the role of globalization, income, and financial development for developing countries over the period of 1996-2019. For empirical analysis, we use second generation econometric methods which overcome the issue of heterogeneity in the study variables. The Westerlund cointegration test results show the presence of long-run link among the variables. The long-run estimates of Cup-FM and Cup-BC indicate that ICT increases environmental quality by reducing the emissions level while education, income, financial development, and globalization decrease environmental quality by increasing emissions level. Policymakers are suggested to encourage investment building ICT infrastructure, develop and implement modern information systems, use the financial sector to devise policies regarding funding ICT projects at an affordable interest rate, and increase public pressure on political leadership to reduce unsustainable practices improving environmental quality.