The carbon emission reduction effect of digital agriculture in China

Carbon emission reduction is gaining increasing attention worldwide. This paper focuses on how the development of digital agriculture contributes to agricultural carbon emission reduction. To this end, the spatial characteristics, spillover effects, and driving factors of digital agriculture on agricultural carbon emissions are explored using panel data of 31 regions in China from 2011 to 2019 using a spatial econometric model and STIRPAT model with the extension of an ARDL method that was utilized to demonstrate the linkage amid variables. The results show that digital agriculture development reduces agricultural carbon emissions. Firstly, the results remain robust after estimation using the replacement weight method and the explanatory variable substitution method. Agricultural technological progress, agricultural industry structure, and rural education level all contribute to the reduction of agricultural carbon emissions in a region. Secondly, agricultural carbon emissions in the neighboring regions have a negative relationship with the agricultural industry structure in the region and a positive relationship with rural education level and agricultural technological level. Finally, strengthening the exchange of digital agriculture between regions and leveraging the intermediary effect of digital inclusive finance can effectively enhance the carbon emission reduction effect.