Abstract: In order to address the problem of global warming caused by excessive emission of carbon dioxide, countries have introduced carbon-neutral timetables, and the low-carbon development of energy and industry has become a major trend. China has responded positively to this global trend. This paper uses China’s inter-provincial panel data from 2011-2021 to overcome endogeneity and empirically analyze the impact of digital finance development on carbon emission intensity. It is found that, first of all, the development of digital finance significantly promotes the reduction of carbon emission intensity. Compared with low carbon intensity regions and eastern regions, digital finance has a greater effect on carbon emission reduction in high carbon intensity regions and central and western regions. Secondly, further mechanistic tests show that energy consumption reduction effect, technological innovation effect and industrial agglomeration effect are the three channels through which digital finance promotes carbon emission reduction. Thirdly, the analysis of spatial effect shows that the development of digital finance will reduce the carbon emission intensity of the local and neighboring regions, and there is a significant spatial spillover effect. This paper improves the analytical perspective of the effects of digital finance development, and provides policy references for exploring how digital finance empowers carbon emission reduction.