Progress in Digital Climate Governance in China: Statistical Measurement, Regional Differences, and Dynamic Evolution

The capacity for climate governance is crucial for sustainable advancement, with data elements being a pivotal production factor in contemporary governance. This study examines the trajectory and strategy of digital transformation in climate governance, creating a three-dimensional dataset encapsulating 11 primary and 36 secondary indicators to facilitate the assessment of digital climate governance. Employing spatiotemporal analysis and coupling coordination models, this study evaluates the digitalization levels in climate governance across 30 regions in China, examining how to progress digital integration from governmental and market perspectives. Findings reveal a consistent improvement in China’s regional digital climate governance, bolstering economic and social progress. Nonetheless, regional disparities and developmental lags persist, with convergence analysis indicating a divergence trend in provincial climate governance capabilities. Moreover, kernel density and Markov chain analyses suggest an ongoing evolution in regional digital climate governance efforts, aiming at achieving a higher development plateau. The study emphasizes the dual role of government and market dynamics in boosting digital governance levels, deducing from two-stage regression that effective government-market interplay is vital for elevating governance quality and fostering new productive forces, recommending an integrated governance mechanism for optimal synergy.