This article examines the impact of technological innovation on CO 2 emissions in China from 2003 to 2018 using 30 provincial panel data sets. Employing the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM), it examines the impact of technological innovation on CO 2 emissions intensity from a dual perspective of direct impact and spatial spillover. The findings indicate that regional spatial CO 2 emissions exhibit a positive spatial spillover effect; technological innovation can significantly reduce a region's CO 2 emission intensity and has a negative spillover effect on neighboring regions' CO 2 emission intensity, thereby dramatically reducing CO 2 emissions in neighboring provinces. Additionally, advanced industrial structure and foreign direct investment have the potential to significantly reduce total CO 2 emission intensity; environmental regulations have an inverted "U" effect on total CO 2 emission intensity; and the coal-based energy consumption structure increases total CO 2 emission intensity. On the basis of the aforementioned research, this article offers recommendations for policy changes aimed at reducing CO 2 emission intensity in order to achieve low-carbon growth.