During global digital transformation, advancing digital infrastructure has emerged as a catalyst for green development in China. Leveraging the Broadband China Pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment for digital infrastructure construction, this study employs double machine learning models and panel data of 285 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2022 to evaluate the policy’s impact on urban green innovation. Results demonstrate that digital infrastructure development significantly enhances both the quantity and quality of urban green innovation. These findings withstand robustness checks, including sample adjustments and model respecification. Mechanistic analyses reveal that digital infrastructure facilitates innovators’ access to environmental, technological, and market-related information, enabling more targeted and cost-effective green innovation. Heterogeneity analyses indicate a stronger policy effect on high-quality green innovation in eastern, western, and non-resource-dependent cities. This study provides critical insights for leveraging digital infrastructure to advance sustainable economic development through green innovation.

Air pollution, a critical environmental threat, has worsened alongside urbanization and industrialization, particularly in rapidly developing economies like India. Despite efforts to curb emissions, the concurrent rise in energy consumption, industrial activity, and digitalization complicates the fight against air pollution. This study examines the interplay between air pollution, economic growth, clean energy transition, digitalization, and urbanization in India from 1990Q1 to 2020Q4. Using advanced econometric techniques, including multivariate quantile-on-quantile regression (MQQR) and the quantile ADF and quantile KPSS tests, we investigate the complex, non-linear relationships across these factors. Our findings suggest that while economic growth exacerbates air pollution, the clean energy transition can mitigate its impact, especially when integrated with digitalization. However, the effects of digitalization are nuanced, potentially increasing pollution unless paired with green energy policies. The study demonstrates that the combined strategies of promoting clean energy and digitalization can provide a sustainable pathway for reducing air pollution in India. This work offers novel insights into the role of digital technologies in enhancing environmental sustainability and highlights the need for policy interventions that balance economic growth with climate resilience. The results present a roadmap for India’s sustainable development, emphasizing the integration of clean energy, digital innovation, and urban planning.