Spatiotemporal influence of the digital economy on the industrial green transition from the perspective of pollution and carbon dioxide emission reduction

The close collaboration of data with other traditional factors, such as energy and technology, has provided an important and unparalleled opportunity for sustainable development. This study aims to examine the complex interaction between the digital economy (DIGE) and the industrial green transition (IGT) of 283 cities in China from 2013 to 2021 to simultaneously achieve the goals of economic growth, environmental protection, and climate governance. This study employs spatial analysis methods, analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of both the DIGE and the IGT. Furthermore, this study examines the relationship between the variables via a panel data model. The results indicate that the DIGE in China increased from 0.077 in 2013 to 0.205 in 2021 and that the IGT increased from 0.262 in 2013 to 0.573 in 2021. Both the DIGE and the IGT show spatial patterns in which the highest values can be found in the eastern areas, followed by the western areas, and with the lowest values occurring in the central areas. Additionally, the DIGE has a prominent U-shaped influence on the IGT in China, as shown by the significant binomial coefficient (2.475), and the DIGE is significantly conducive to the IGT in the eastern areas and central cities of China, with impact coefficients of 0.585 and 0.320, respectively. Furthermore, the DIGE facilitates the IGT via clean-energy-preferred industrial planning (CIP) and technological innovation (TI). According to the quantitative findings of this study, the rapid development of the DIGE plays a critical role in driving sustainable industrial practices. Targeted suggestions, including fostering the DIGE, addressing regional disparities in digital development, promoting TI, and encouraging industries to relocate to areas with larger amounts of clean energy, are proposed.