Impacts of the Digital Economy on Agricultural Carbon Emissions: Empirical Analyses from 31 Provinces in China

Abstract

Greenhouse gas emissions from global agrifood production systems have increased by 17 % over the past 30 years. In China, the goal of achieving carbon neutrality presents new challenges and requirements for all sectors, especially agriculture, which is a major source of carbon emissions. The emergence of the digital economy (DE) offers an opportunity to advance this goal. This study utilized longitudinal data from 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021 and constructed a fixed-effects regression model to analyze the impact of DE on agricultural carbon emissions (ACE) and its performance variations under different environmental regulatory intensities. The main findings of this research are: (1) The development of DE can significantly reduce ACE, with more pronounced effects in regions having stricter environmental regulations. (2) Research and development (R&D) investment significantly mediates the relationship between DE and ACE, accounting for 9.7 % of the effect. (3) A heterogeneity analysis indicates regional variations in the carbon emission reduction effects of DE, with non-Yangtze River Economic Belt (NYREB) regions exhibiting stronger effects than those within the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). This study elucidates the mechanisms and impacts of DE on ACE and provides theoretical support for the low-carbon sustainable development of agriculture, as well as for the creation of regionally differentiated policies.