The Impact of Information and Communication Technology Industrial Co-Agglomeration on Carbon Productivity with the Background of the Digital Economy: Empirical Evidence from China

In the era of the digital economy, the information and communication technology (ICT) industry has opened up a new round of expansion, while forming co-located development in the space. ICT industrial co-agglomeration has tremendous advantages in promoting economic development and achieving carbon neutrality goals. This paper analyzes the spatio-temporal characteristics of ICT industrial co-agglomeration and carbon productivity from 2009 to 2019 in China. It empirically explores the impact of ICT industrial co-agglomeration on carbon productivity using a systematic GMM model. Additionally, it analyses the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of ICT industrial co-agglomeration and other factors affecting carbon productivity using a geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model. The findings are as follows: (1) China’s ICT industrial co-agglomeration and carbon productivity show an upward trend. Additionally, their characteristic of regional distribution is east–high and west–low. (2) ICT industrial co-agglomeration has a positive association with carbon productivity. (3) The impact of ICT industrial co-agglomeration on carbon productivity has significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The regression coefficient of ICT industrial co-agglomeration increases continuously during the study period, and the degree of impact is relatively larger in Northern China. As the degree of ICT industrial co-agglomeration continues to increase, its positive impact on carbon productivity across China is deepening. The findings of this paper complete the research on the impact of ICT industrial co-agglomeration on carbon productivity, and the related policy recommendations provide useful references for the digital economy and sustainable development.