Against the backdrop of deepening globalization, the widespread adoption and application of digital technologies are reshaping global trade patterns and providing new momentum for low-carbon economic cooperation. Based on panel data from 10 ASEAN countries for the period 2010–2020, this study investigates the role of digital trade in the trade-environment nexus. The findings reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between digital trade and carbon emissions, which is explained through the scale effect, structural effect, and technological effect. Furthermore, the study examines the influence of economic development levels and industrial structures on this relationship, identifying significant heterogeneity. Countries with higher levels of economic development and more advanced industrial structures exhibit a more pronounced inverted U-shaped relationship between digital trade and carbon emissions.