Research on Effect of the Digital Economy on Agricultural Carbon Emission Reduction-Based on the Moderating Effect of Institutional Quality

This study empirically examines the role of institutional quality in enabling agricultural carbon emission reductions through the digital economy, utilizing panel data from 252 prefecture-level cities in China spanning from 2000 to 2023. It addresses the long-standing oversight of institutional quality in this field. Findings reveal that institutional quality not only directly reduces agricultural carbon emission intensity but also exerts emission-reduction effects by influencing the digital economy’s impact on agricultural carbon emissions. As institutional quality improves from poor to excellent, the role of the digital economy in enabling agricultural carbon emission reductions exhibits a nonlinear expansion, confirming the moderating effect of institutional quality. Optimizing the institutional environment and enhancing institutional quality not only effectively promotes the carbon emission reduction role of the digital economy but also directly reduces agricultural carbon emissions.