关键词: 能源碳排放, 数字经济集聚, 空间结构, 绿色创新

Abstract: As a new form of leading high-quality economic development, digital economy is of great significance to the effective achievement of the strategic goal of “double carbon”. For a long time, the research on the impact of digital economy on energy carbon emission has been a hot topic in the field, and the fact that the development of digital economy drives energy carbon emission reduction has been verified accordingly. However, there is still room for deepening: on the one hand, under the heterogeneous spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration, the expectation of “digital economy driving energy carbon emission reduction” may not be effectively achieved; because different provinces are composed of urban units with different numbers, scales and endowments, the reasons for the differences among provinces are not only explained by scale and quantity, but also caused by the spatial heterogeneity of urban development. There are “monocentric” or “polycentric” differences between different urban units in the province at different stages of development, and what kind of spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration is more conducive to the reduction of energy carbon emissions? How to rationally plan the spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration in different cities to promote the process of energy carbon emission reduction? On the other hand, most of the existing studies focus on the impact of the scale of digital economic development on energy carbon emissions, while ignoring the impact of the spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration on energy carbon emissions and its mechanism.
Therefore, based on the perspective of spatial heterogeneity, and the data of provinces and cities in 2011—2019, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of monocentric and polycentric spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration on energy carbon emissions and the mechanism of green innovation by using static panel model, instrumental variable estimation model and intermediary effect model. The results show that: (1)The scale development of digital economy has significantly inhibited energy carbon emissions. (2)The monocentric spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration will promote energy carbon emissions, while the polycentric spatial structure will help to curb energy carbon emissions. (3)Monocentric spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration promotes excessive geographical concentration of green innovation elements, which in turn contributes to energy carbon emissions, while rational spatial allocation of green innovation elements driven by polycentric spatial structure helps to curb energy carbon emissions.
Compared with previous studies, this paper has expanded in the following three aspects: First, taking the heterogeneity of digital economic agglomeration at the city level within the provincial system as the starting point, and taking into account the impact of the spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration on energy carbon emissions. Second, starting with the heterogeneity of polycentricity, the effects and laws of different degrees of polycentric spatial structure on energy carbon emissions are investigated. Third, identifying the conduction path in the process that the spatial structure of digital economy agglomeration affects energy carbon emissions. The conclusion of this paper contains policy implications such as increasing investment in digital economy construction, optimizing the spatial structure of digital economic agglomeration and strengthening the path dependence of green innovation, and then enriches the theoretical research between digital economy and energy carbon emissions, with a view to providing experience for relevant departments in formulating digital economic reform system and carbon emission reduction development strategy.

Key words: energy carbon emissions, digital economy agglomeration, spatial structure, green innovation