The Impact of the Digital Economy on Carbon Emission Reduction—Taking China’s Coastal Ports as an Example

Against the backdrop of the coordinated advancement of the “Dual Carbon” goals and the Digital China strategy, this study focuses on the mechanism through which the digital economy influences port emission reduction. Based on panel data from 16 coastal ports in China from 2014 to 2023, this study systematically examines the impact of the digital economy on port carbon emission reduction. Using two-way fixed effects and mediation effect models, this study empirically tests the direct and indirect pathways through which digital economy development affects port carbon emissions. The results indicate that the digital economy significantly reduces port carbon emissions, a finding robust to endogeneity and sensitivity tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that the digital economy not only directly enhances operational efficiency but also indirectly promotes emission reduction through green technology innovation, whereas the mediating role of industrial structure upgrading appears limited. This research provides theoretical foundations and policy insights for promoting sustainable development and deep integration of port green transformation and digital technology.