How does digital technology innovation drive synergies for reducing pollution and carbon emissions?

Digital technological innovation is a key force in reshaping production and achieving green, low-carbon development, provides new impetus to reducing pollution emissions (PE) and carbon emissions (CE). This study employed the coupled coordination model, panel regression model and spatial Durbin model to examine how the digital technology innovation level (DTIL) and digital technology transfer scale (DTTS) affected synergies for reducing pollution and carbon emissions (PCRS) in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2015 to 2021. The results showed that: The evolution of PCRS is characterized by high synergy cities are increasing, low synergy cities are decreasing, and excellent coordination cities are becoming more concentrated. In the synergistic type migration evolution, the core area primarily ascends; the central and peripheral areas remain mostly stable. The effects of DTIL and DTTS on PCRS follow a non-linear inverted U-shaped pattern. DTIL has a stronger effect on reducing PE, while DTTS tends to increase CE. In terms of spatial spillover effects, DTIL has an inverted U-shaped relationship with PCRS in local regions and a positive spillover effect on neighboring regions; DTTS has a negative impact on PCRS in local regions, but shows an inverted U-shaped relationship in neighboring regions. Both of them also affect PCRS through industrial structure and energy efficiency.