Digital economy exhibits varying degrees of mitigation of air pollution in China: Total cities-economic subdivisions-urban agglomerations.

Air pollution is a challenge for many cities. The digital economy enhances support for environmental pollution management, while the mechanisms and scaling heterogeneity remain unclear. This study explored the contribution of digital economy development to PM(2.5) concentrations control in China and driving mechanisms in different economic subregions and urban agglomerations. Results show that the spillover transfer effect on air pollution mitigation far exceeded the direct effect at different scales. At the national scale, the air pollution mitigation effect of digital economy was mainly through empowering industrial structure optimization and green technology innovation, while it also affected economic subregions and urban agglomerations through varying scenario combinations of pathways with structural optimization, green production, resource allocation, and technology innovation. Research findings provide support for cross-regional joint management strategies of digital economy and air quality and designing regionally differentiated pollution control pathways in the digital economy dimension.