Impact of Digital Economy on the Carbon Emission Intensity of Construction Industry—The Mediating Role of Industrial Structure Optimization

Given that the construction industry is a major source of energy consumption and carbon emissions, its green transition holds significant implications for both economic development and environmental sustainability. This study takes the digital economy as its point of departure and systematically examines its impact on the carbon emission intensity in the construction industry, as well as underlying transmission mechanisms. Based on theoretical analysis, this study employs fixed-effects and mediation-effects models for empirical testing. The study finds that the digital economy can significantly reduce the carbon emission intensity of the construction industry, a conclusion that remains robust after a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that industrial structure optimization plays an important mediating role in the process through which the digital economy promotes the reduction of carbon emission intensity in the construction industry. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of the digital economy on the carbon intensity in the construction industry is greater in the central and western regions than in the eastern regions. However, this impact is relatively smaller in regions with high urbanization levels than in those with average urbanization levels. At the same time, the impact of the digital economy on the carbon intensity in the construction industry is greater in low-income regions than in high-income regions. Finally, the study proposes measures to reduce the carbon emission intensity of the construction industry.