Mai Wei, Xiong Lixin, Liu Ban, Liu Shengqi
Business School, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China.
Business School, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2DG, UK.
Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 8;15(1):11963. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-96834-6.
Under the "dual carbon" goals, heavily polluting enterprises face dual pressures to reduce both pollution and carbon emissions, necessitating the urgent exploration of effective pathways for coordinated emission reductions. This study investigates the potential of digital transformation in enterprises to achieve synergistic emission reductions. First, the entropy method is employed to measure enterprise digitalization and pollutant levels, and the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of regional coordinated emission reductions are analyzed. Subsequently, using panel data from heavily polluting enterprises in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the study examines the impact of digital transformation on pollution and carbon reduction, its underlying mechanisms, and the moderating effects of environmental policies on these relationships. Robustness tests confirm the synergy between carbon and pollution emissions. The findings reveal that digital transformation contributes to the synergistic reduction of carbon and pollutant emissions in enterprises, primarily through two pathways: the coordinated integration of internal innovation resources and the collaborative engagement in external innovation networks. Furthermore, air pollution control policies and low-carbon city initiatives significantly enhance the synergistic emission reduction effects of digitalization. Interestingly, heavily polluting enterprises located in the downstream regions of the Yangtze River, those with smaller operational scales, or those facing strong financing constraints, demonstrate more pronounced synergistic emission reduction effects through digital transformation. Based on these conclusions, we recommend that governments focus on strengthening either "pollution reduction" or "carbon reduction" policies, as either alone can yield dual emission reduction benefits. Additionally, tailoring regional emission reduction policies to local conditions can maximize economic and environmental benefits.
在“双碳”目标下，重污染企业面临着污染减排和碳排放减排的双重压力，迫切需要探索有效的协同减排途径。本研究考察企业数字化转型实现协同减排的潜力。首先，运用熵值法测度企业数字化水平和污染物水平，分析区域协同减排的时空演变特征。随后，利用长江经济带重污染企业的面板数据，考察数字化转型对污染减排和碳减排的影响、其潜在机制以及环境政策对这些关系的调节作用。稳健性检验证实了碳排放与污染排放之间的协同效应。研究结果表明，数字化转型有助于企业实现碳和污染物排放的协同减排，主要通过两条途径：内部创新资源的协同整合和外部创新网络的协同参与。此外，空气污染控制政策和低碳城市举措显著增强了数字化的协同减排效果。有趣的是，位于长江下游地区、经营规模较小或面临较强融资约束的重污染企业，通过数字化转型表现出更显著的协同减排效果。基于这些结论，我们建议政府专注于加强“污染减排”或“碳减排”政策，因为单独一项政策都能带来双重减排效益。此外，因地制宜制定区域减排政策可以使经济和环境效益最大化。
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