From "Harmony Between Humans and Nature" to Green Development: The Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Ecological Culture Empowering Regional Low-Carbon Economies

Abstract

Amid the deep integration of global "dual carbon" goals (carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060) with China’s ecological civilization drive, the modern value of traditional Chinese ecological culture—centered on the notion of "harmony between humans and nature" — has been reawakened. The profound fusion of emerging technologies such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence with the real economy not only offers opportunities for technological empowerment and efficiency gains in regional low-carbon transitions but also gives rise to new challenges, including labor market restructuring, skill mismatches, and inadequate adaptability of the built environment. As a form of "cultural capital" endowed with both value-leading capacity and practical resilience, the synergistic empowerment of traditional Chinese ecological culture with emerging economic factors has emerged as a pivotal pathway to resolving contradictions in regional low-carbon development.Drawing on  core literatures spanning philosophy, economics, geography, digital economy, and sustainable development, this study employs a literature review approach and logical deduction to construct a comprehensive analytical framework: "Cultural Connotations → Modern Transformation → Synergistic Empowerment → Regional Practice → Optimization Pathways." It systematically dissects the intrinsic logic, core mechanisms, and implementation models through which traditional Chinese ecological culture empowers regional low-carbon economies.Key findings are as follows: First, traditional Chinese ecological culture evolves into a form of cultural capital compatible with modern low-carbon development via a three-stage transformation — encompassing value ethics, institutional rules, and practical behaviors. Second, at the mechanism level, this cultural capital forms a "four-dimensional synergy" with digital technology, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and sustainable built environments. It propels regional low-carbon transitions through four pathways — "value constraint, technological drive, subject adaptation, and spatial guarantee" —across three tiers: micro-level enterprise transformation, meso-level industrial upgrading, and macro-level regional governance. Third, in regional practice, diverse implementation models have taken shape, namely "culture + education and communication," "culture + spatial governance," and "culture + policy integration." However, challenges persist, such as fragmented cultural cognition, insufficient regional coordination, and superficial integration between technology and culture.By clarifying the inherent links between culture, technology, economy, and space, this study provides a theoretically grounded and practically feasible framework for regional low-carbon economic development. It also offers an innovative "Chinese culture + technology synergy" solution to contribute to global sustainable development.