How does digitalization affect carbon emissions in animal husbandry? A new evidence from China

•Quantify carbon emissions and digitalization levels of China's animal husbandry industry.•Digitalization has a significant inhibitory effect on the total and intensity of animal husbandry carbon emissions.•The threshold effects of economic development and industrial scale on digital emission reduction were discussed.•The mediating effects of total factor productivity and technological innovation were explored. Digital development has provided new solutions for emission reduction and is essential to promote sustainable development of animal husbandry. This study uses panel regression model, threshold effect model, and mediating effect model to empirically analyze the impact of digitalization on carbon emission intensity (CEI). The results show that digitalization, especially the development of digital finance and digital industries, significantly reduces CEI of animal husbandry. Economic development produces a single threshold effect with a threshold of -0.321 and industrial specialization produces a double threshold effect with thresholds of 0.455 and 0.592 in the emission reduction effect of digitalization. digitalization reduces CEI through two paths: improving total factor productivity and promoting technological innovation. The inhibitory effect of digitalization on CEI shows distinct heterogeneity. The key to low-carbon development of animal husbandry lies in optimizing factor inputs, promoting technological innovation and guiding the balanced development of digital technology.