<p>The effective integration of digital transformation with carbon emissions has become increasingly important worldwide as the climate continues to deteriorate. However, the impact of digital transformation on CO₂ emissions from a governmental standpoint remains underexplored. This study takes the Internet Plus Government Services (IPGS) policy as a quasi-natural experiment and employs a difference-in-difference approach to identify its causal effect on CO₂ emissions. The results indicate that IPGS has significantly reduced CO₂ emissions, and this effect is mediated through information and communication technology infrastructure, digital inclusive finance, and digital enterprise transformation. This impact is more pronounced in eastern, economically advanced, and large-sized cities. This study provides pioneering empirical evidence on how digital government transformation contributes to CO₂ emissions, offering valuable insights for developing countries that are adopting digital government strategies.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>