This article examines the impact of technological innovation on CO₂ 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 CO₂ emissions intensity from a dual perspective of direct impact and spatial spillover. The findings indicate that regional spatial CO₂ emissions exhibit a positive spatial spillover effect; technological innovation can significantly reduce a region’s CO₂ emission intensity and has a negative spillover effect on neighboring regions’ CO₂ emission intensity, thereby dramatically reducing CO₂ emissions in neighboring provinces. Additionally, advanced industrial structure and foreign direct investment have the potential to significantly reduce total CO₂ emission intensity; environmental regulations have an inverted “U” effect on total CO₂ emission intensity; and the coal-based energy consumption structure increases total CO₂ emission intensity. On the basis of the aforementioned research, this article offers recommendations for policy changes aimed at reducing CO₂ emission intensity in order to achieve low-carbon growth.