Threshold effect of digital technology on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction

[Objective] During the concurrent development of the “dual carbon” goals and the digital economy, relying on digital power to promote environmental governance has become an important research focus. Exploring the impact of digital technology on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction and its mechanism have great significance. [Methods] Based on provincial-level panel data from 2011 to 2020 in China, this article uses benchmark regression models to explore the direct impact of digital technology on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction. By constructing threshold regression models, the nonlinear effects of digital technology on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction across the country, as well as in the eastern, central, and western regions, with industrial structure upgrading, energy utilization efficiency, production process innovation, and environmental regulation as constraint variables, were explored. [Results] (1) In the whole country, as well as in the eastern, central, and western regions, digital technology has a positive direct impact on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction, and shows a distribution characteristic of “central>western>eastern”. (2) Digital technology has a significant threshold effect on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction at the national level. When the industrial structure upgrading is above the threshold, energy utilization efficiency is above the second threshold, production process innovation is between the first and second threshold, and environmental regulation is above the threshold, the driving effect of digital technology is stronger. (3) The threshold effect tests were conducted on the eastern, central, and western regions, and all three regions showed significant nonlinear effects. Among them, except for when the environmental regulation in the western region exceed the threshold, digital technology has a negative nonlinear impact on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction; When the threshold variables are higher than the threshold, digital technology has a stronger positive effect on the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction. [Conclusion] Digital technology is conducive to promoting the synergy of carbon reduction and pollution reduction and assisting China in promoting ecological civilization construction. Therefore, all regions should incorporate the whole-process governance into the collaborative work of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, and efficiency enhancement, formulate differentiated policies, and form a joint force of “digital + green” development.