The critical role of digital technology in sustainable development goals: A two-stage analysis of the spatial spillover effect of carbon intensity

In order to achieve sustainable development goals, China has further increased its goal of reducing carbon intensity and has made digitalization an important support for sustainable development. However, the impact of digitalization on carbon intensity reduction is still unclear. In this context, this paper first evaluates the digitalization level of 30 provincial regions in China and then constructs a spatial Durbin model for two stages, 2012–2015 and 2016–2019, so as to explore the spatial spillover effects of carbon intensity in different stages and the important roles of digital infrastructure and digital inputs in carbon intensity reduction. The main findings are as follows: (1) the current digitization level of each province in China is widely disparate, with the region showing a high level in the east and a low level in the west; (2) carbon intensity reduction has a significant spatial spillover effect, as shown by a 1% reduction in local carbon intensity and a 0.21% reduction in neighboring regions; and (3) digitalization has a more significant positive impact on the reduction in carbon intensity in stage 2. The research results are strong demonstration that digitalization drives sustainable development.