Mechanisms Through Which the Digital Economy Influences Agricultural Carbon Emissions

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the “dual carbon” goals and the green transformation of agriculture, it is of great significance to explore the impact and mechanisms through which the digital economy influences agricultural carbon emissions, thereby promoting low-carbon and sustainable agricultural development. Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces covering the period 2011–2024, this study empirically examines the impact of the digital economy on agricultural carbon emissions and its underlying mechanisms by constructing a two-way fixed-effects model. The empirical results show that the digital economy significantly reduces agricultural carbon emissions, a conclusion that holds after a series of robustness tests. Mediating mechanism analysis reveals that reductions in energy intensity and the optimized allocation of agricultural machinery act as mediators. Furthermore, the impact exhibits regional heterogeneity, being more pronounced in northwestern China and in areas with high agricultural carbon emissions. Based on these findings, relevant policy recommendations are proposed in terms of institutional design, system development, and policy guidance.