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Impact of digital climate governance on carbon neutrality in China: A framework for carbon technological progress

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  • Zhou, Fengxiu
  • Chen, Ming
  • Lee, Chien-Chiang

Abstract

The rapid integration of digital technologies into climate governance has emerged as a transformative force in advancing low-carbon transitions. By leveraging panel data from 242 prefecture-level cities in China, this study pioneers a multidimensional framework to assess carbon neutrality-oriented technological progress—encompassing innovation capacity, structural optimization, and efficiency enhancement—while empirically investigating the impact of digital climate governance on decarbonization outcomes. The key findings are as follows: (1) A 1 % improvement in digital climate governance correlates with 0.315 % growth in carbon-neutral technology patents, a 9.128 % increase in innovation of energy-intensive industries, and a 0.260 % increase in carbon emission efficiency. (2) Institutional synergies amplify governance efficacy, with pronounced effects observed in cities characterized by mature green financial systems, low-carbon policy experimentation, and stringent environmental regulation. The moderating elasticities of green finance and policy-regulatory frameworks demonstrate substantial reinforcement of digital governance impacts. (3) Nonlinear threshold effects govern implementation pathways: human capital reserves exceeding 0.05 increase digital governance's marginal contribution to technological innovation by 1.040 %; urbanization surpassing 78.5 % intensifies industrial decarbonization effects by 19.303 %; and government intervention beyond 12.769 % of GDP magnifies innovation in carbon-intensive industries gains by 11.09 %. (4) Heterogeneity analysis underscores how geographic positioning, resource endowments, and administrative hierarchies condition the carbon-neutral performance of digital governance instruments. These insights provide actionable strategies for policymakers in developing economies to strategically deploy digital infrastructure, optimize technological pathways, and design governance architectures for net-zero transitions. These findings provide insights into technology-driven climate governance and contribute to the design of equitable digital solutions for systemic decarbonization.

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  • Zhou, Fengxiu & Chen, Ming & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2025. "Impact of digital climate governance on carbon neutrality in China: A framework for carbon technological progress," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:83:y:2025:i:c:s0160791x25001812
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102991
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