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China's industrial sector generally relies on electricity as its main source of energy, and industrial production can be affected if there are problems with the electricity supply. In order to deal with the uncertain electricity supply and achieve the "dual carbon" target, the industrial sector needs to take effective measures to enhance carbon total factor productivity (CTFP). We use the biennial Luenberger productivity index (BLPI) to try to provide strategies for low-carbon industrial development in China. The results indicate that the overall CTFP of China's industrial sector showed an increasing trend from 2006 to 2019. Technology change was the main contributor to the change in CTFP, but fluctuations in efficiency change remained a challenge. Differences were observed between the light industry sector (LIS) and the heavy industry sector (HIS) in terms of changes in CTFP, with LIS showing more stable changes and HIS experiencing larger fluctuations. Most sub-sectors showed increased CTFP during the sample period. R&D investment and R&D personnel have a positive impact on CTFP, while energy structure is found to hinder CTFP. According to the research results of this study, we offer the corresponding policy implications. This study is the first to explore the balance between low-carbon goals and industrial production from the perspective of improving CTFP, providing a new viewpoint on the contributions of technological innovation to solving socio-economic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid global climate imperatives and intensified economic competition, pivoting from China's conventional growth paradigms to innovative economic catalysts emerges as pivotal for its transformative agenda. Drawing on panel data from 141 principal urban conglomerates spanning 2011–2021, this investigation delves into the intricate nexus between the digital economy and carbon total factor productivity. Our empirical analysis unveils a U-shaped trajectory characterizing the digital economy - carbon total factor productivity interplay, accompanied by a congruent spatial spillover dynamic. While digital economy fortifies environmental governance mechanisms through amplified data and media channels, such regulatory frameworks, albeit efficacious in emission abatement, may inadvertently impede economic vitality, thus attenuating carbon total factor productivity. Progressing from digital economy's foundational phase to its comprehensive deployment, its reverberations on capital productivity manifest in a U-shaped curve, invigorating local carbon total factor productivity while potentially undermining adjacent regions. This digital economy - carbon total factor productivity interrelation is accentuated in advanced, non-resource-reliant metropolises with subdued innovation propensities. This discourse proffers nuanced policy implications for sculpting digital economy trajectories and bolstering carbon total factor productivity in a sustainable context. [Display omitted] • The digital economy demonstrates a U-shaped spatial spillover impact on carbon total factor productivity. • The digital economy influences carbon total factor productivity through governmental environmental regulations. • The digital economy influences carbon total factor productivity through capital productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]