Breaking the ice for a low-carbon consumption transition in developing countries: The role of digital literacy.

Understanding the impact of digital literacy on this transition holds significant practical value for global carbon emission reduction. From the perspective of institutional capacity, this paper constructs a framework to analyze the institutional system of digital literacy in facilitating low-carbon consumption transitions. Using data from the China Family Panel Survey 2014-2022, this study adopts regression analysis and heterogeneity tests to examine how digital literacy influences rural households' shift toward low-carbon consumption. The findings reveal that digital literacy significantly enhances both the effectiveness and inclusiveness of this transition. This influence is primarily mediated through three pathways: improved market accessibility, heightened personal environmental awareness, and increased social network interaction. Moreover, the low-carbon transition driven by digital literacy demonstrates inclusiveness, with particularly pronounced empowering effects on groups with low education, low income, and limited social capital. This study offers new insights into promoting a low-carbon consumption transition and reducing carbon emissions in the digital era.