How digital technologies enhance firm-level energy efficiency in global climate governance

Enhancing energy efficiency is central to global climate governance, yet the role of digital technologies in this process is not fully understood. This study investigates the effects of artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data on firm-level energy efficiency. Drawing on panel data from 2003 Chinese A-share listed companies between 2013 and 2021, we employ the method of moments quantile regression to capture heterogeneous impacts across efficiency levels. The findings show that digital technologies significantly improve energy efficiency across all quantiles (10th–90th), with the most substantial improvements occurring among the least efficient firms (10th quantile). An energy rebound effect is also observed. Moreover, a composite index of digital technologies consistently outperforms individual technologies in promoting efficiency gains. These results highlight the potential of digital innovation to enhance corporate sustainability and provide policy guidance for advancing the global energy transition.