How Does Digital Economy Empowering Synergistic Governance of Pollution and Carbon Reduction? An Empirical Study in the Yellow River Basin of China

This study examines the role of the digital economy in fostering the synergistic governance of pollution reduction and carbon mitigation within China's Yellow River Economic Belt.Using dynamic panel data from nine provinces (2012-2022), we employ a two-way fixed effects model and mediation analysis to explore the mechanisms driving these environmental co-benefits.The results indicate that digital economy development significantly enhances the efficiency of coordinated pollution and carbon reduction.This effect operates through three key pathways: green technological innovation, industrial structure upgrading toward cleaner energy systems, and strengthened public environmental oversight enabled by digital platforms.Further heterogeneity analysis reveals regional disparities, with more pronounced synergistic effects observed in economically advanced regions and areas with lower population density, attributed to superior digital infrastructure and greater flexibility in structural adjustments.Robustness checks confirm the stability of these findings.By integrating multi-dimensional mechanisms and spatial heterogeneity, this research advances the theoretical understanding of the digital economy's dual environmental benefits and provides actionable insights for leveraging digital solutions to achieve low-carbon transitions in ecologically vulnerable regions.