Abstract
Using the difference-in-difference model and panel data from 283 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2019, this study assesses the effect on CO2 emissions of an innovative city pilot policy and analyzes its mechanism using the mediation effect model. The findings demonstrate that the pilot policy significantly reduces urban carbon emissions overall, and this finding holds even after conducting several stability tests. Innovative pilot cities can cut carbon emissions by 11.5% compared to nonpilot cities and thus significantly impact carbon reduction. Reducing carbon emissions is possible through three mechanisms. These are the enrichment of cultural resources, the development of technological innovation levels, and the optimization of industrial structure. There is a significant lag in how the innovative city pilot policy affects this reduction. The emission reduction effects of innovative pilot policies on different pollution levels, regions, and cities of various sizes are heterogeneous. In the long run, the scope of pilot projects needs enlargement in an orderly manner, and specific policies should be implemented according to local conditions. Meanwhile, advanced technologies are required in cities of different scales to build innovative development mechanisms for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and environmental regulations should be strengthened to implement in urban areas the concept of green and sustainable ecological development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of data and materials
Data are available from the authors upon request.
References
Albitar K, Borgi H, Khan M, Zahra A (2022) Business environmental innovation and CO2 emissions: the moderating role of environmental governance. Bus Strateg Environ. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3232
Aliyu G, Luo J, Di HJ, Lindsey S, Liu D, Yuan J ... Ding W (2019) Nitrous oxide emissions from China’s croplands based on regional and crop-specific emission factors deviate from IPCC 2006 estimates. Sci Total Environ 669:547–558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.142
Bai C, Feng C, Yan H, Yi X, Chen Z, Wei W (2020) Will income inequality influence the abatement effect of renewable energy technological innovation on carbon dioxide emissions? J Environ Manag 264:110482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110482
Beckers CJ, Besselink IJ, Nijmeijer H (2020) Assessing the impact of cornering losses on the energy consumption of electric city buses. Transp Res D: Transp Environ 86:102360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102360
Bokolo A Jr (2021) Managing digital transformation of smart cities through enterprise architecture–a review and research agenda. Enterprise Inform Syst 15(3):299–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/17517575.2020.1812006
Cai X, Lu Y, Wu M, Yu L (2016) Does environmental regulation drive away inbound foreign direct investment? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China. J Dev Econ 123:73–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.08.003
Caragliu A, Del Bo CF (2019) Smart innovative cities: the impact of smart city policies on urban innovation. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 142:373–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.07.022
Chen W (2022) Can low-carbon development force enterprises to make digital transformation? Bus Strateg Environ. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3189
Cheng H, Liu X, Xu Z (2022) Impact of carbon emission trading market on regional urbanization: an empirical study based on a difference-in-differences model. Econ Anal Lett 1(1):15–21. https://doi.org/10.58567/eal01010003
Costantini V, Crespi F, Martini C, Pennacchio L (2015) Demand-pull and technology-push public support for eco-innovation: the case of the biofuels sector. Res Policy 44(3):577–595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2014.12.011
Dingbang C, Cang C, Qing C, Lili S, Caiyun C (2021) Does new energy consumption conducive to controlling fossil energy consumption and carbon emissions?-Evidence from China. Resour Policy 74:102427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102427
Du G, Li W (2022) Does innovative city building promote green logistics efficiency? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment with 285 cities. Energy Econ 114:106320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106320
Fan Y, Liu LC, Wu G, Tsai HT, Wei YM (2007) Changes in carbon intensity in China: empirical findings from 1980–2003. Ecol Econ 62(3–4):683–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2006.08.016
Frey CB, Osborne MA (2017) The future of employment: how susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technol Forecast Soc Chang 114:254–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.08.019
Geels FW, Sovacool BK, Schwanen T, Sorrell S (2017) The socio-technical dynamics of low-carbon transitions. Joule 1(3):463–479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2017.09.018
Glaeser EL, Kahn ME (2010) The greenness of cities: carbon dioxide emissions and urban development. J Urban Econ 67(3):404–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jue.2009.11.006
Graetz G, Michaels G (2017) Is modern technology responsible for jobless recoveries? Am Econ Rev 107(5):168–173. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.p20171100
Grodach C (2017) Urban cultural policy and creative city making. Cities 68:82–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2017.05.015
Hao X, Fu W, Albitar K (2023a) Innovation with ecological sustainability: does corporate environmental responsibility matter in green innovation? J Econ Anal 2(3):21–42. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea02030002
Hao X, Li Y, Ren S, Wu H, Hao Y (2023b) The role of digitalization on green economic growth: does industrial structure optimization and green innovation matter? J Environ Manag 325:116504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116504
Hao X, Wen S, Xue Y, Wu H, Hao Y (2023c) How to improve environment, resources and economic efficiency in the digital era? Resour Policy 80:103198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.103198
Hou J, Hou P (2018) Polarization of CO2 emissions in China’s electricity sector: production versus consumption perspectives. J Clean Prod 178:384–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.011
Hu Z, Li S (2023) Innovation-driven policy and low-carbon technology innovation: research driven by the impetus of national innovative city pilot policy in China. Sustainability 15(11):8723. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118723
Huang W, Wang Q, Li H, Fan H, Qian Y, Klemeš JJ (2022) Review of recent progress of emission trading policy in China. J Clean Prod 349:131480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131480
Jansson JK, Hofmockel KS (2020) Soil microbiomes and climate change. Nat Rev Microbiol 18(1):35–46. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-019-0265-7
Jiang X, Fu W, Li G (2020) Can the improvement of living environment stimulate urban innovation?——analysis of high-quality innovative talents and foreign direct investment spillover effect mechanism. J Clean Prod 255:120212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120212
Jiang N, Jiang W, Chen H (2022) Innovative urban design for low-carbon sustainable development: evidence from China’s innovative city pilots. Sustain Dev. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2413
Knockaert M, Deschryvere M, Lecluyse L (2019) The relationship between organizational interdependence and additionality obtained from innovation ecosystem participation. Sci Public Policy 46(4):490–503. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scz002
Lai M, Fang J, Xie R (2023) Does regional innovation policy encourage firm indigenous innovation? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of the pilot project of innovative cities in China. Appl Econ 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2023.2177601
Li L (2021) Integrating climate change impact in new building design process: a review of building life cycle carbon emission assessment methodologies. Clean Eng Technol 5:100286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2021.100286
Li P, Lu M (2021) Urban systems: understanding and predicting the spatial distribution of China’s population. Chin World Econ 29(4):35–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/cwe.12380
Li X, Zhao C (2023) Did innovative city constructions reduce carbon emissions? A quasi-natural experiment in China. Environ Dev Sustain 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-02964-0
Li P, Lu Y, Wang J (2016) Does flattening government improve economic performance? Evidence from China. J Dev Econ 123:18–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.07.002
Li B, Han S, Wang Y, Li J, Wang Y (2020) Feasibility assessment of the carbon emissions peak in China’s construction industry: factor decomposition and peak forecast. Sci Total Environ 706:135716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135716
Li Y, Zhang J, Yang X, Wang W, Wu H, Ran Q, Luo R (2021) The impact of innovative city construction on ecological efficiency: a quasi-natural experiment from China. Sustain Prod Consumpt 28:1724–1735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2021.09.012
Li L, Li M, Ma S, Zheng Y, Pan C (2022a) Does the construction of innovative cities promote urban green innovation? J Environ Manag 318:115605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115605
Li Y, Zhang Y, Pan A, Han M, Veglianti E (2022b) Carbon emission reduction effects of industrial robot applications: heterogeneity characteristics and influencing mechanisms. Technol Soc 70:102034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102034
Lin B, Zhang A (2023) Can government environmental regulation promote low-carbon development in heavy polluting industries? Evidence from China’s new environmental protection law. Environ Impact Assess Rev 99:106991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2022.106991
Liu X, Zhang X (2021) Industrial agglomeration, technological innovation and carbon productivity: evidence from China. Resour Conserv Recycl 166:105330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105330
Liu D, Zhu X, Wang Y (2021a) China’s agricultural green total factor productivity based on carbon emission: an analysis of evolution trend and influencing factors. J Clean Prod 278:123692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123692
Liu H, Fan L, Shao Z (2021b) Threshold effects of energy consumption, technological innovation, and supply chain management on enterprise performance in China’s manufacturing industry. J Environ Manag 300:113687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113687
Liu M, Tan R, Zhang B (2021c) The costs of “blue sky”: environmental regulation, technology upgrading, and labor demand in China. J Dev Econ 150:102610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2020.102610
Liu H, Lei H, Zhou Y (2022a) How does green trade affect the environment? Evidence from China. J Econ Anal 1(1):1–19. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea01010001
Liu J, Li X, Zhong S (2022b) Does innovation efficiency promote energy consumption intensity? New evidence from China. Energy Rep 8:426–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.05.096
Lv C, Shao C, Lee CC (2021) Green technology innovation and financial development: do environmental regulation and innovation output matter? Energy Econ 98:105237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105237
Mahadevan R, Sun Y (2020) Effects of foreign direct investment on carbon emissions: evidence from China and its belt and road countries. J Environ Manag 276:111321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111321
Maza A, Villaverde J (2008) The world per capita electricity consumption distribution: signs of convergence? Energy Policy 36(11):4255–4261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2008.07.036
Mekala GD, Jones RN, MacDonald DH (2015) Valuing the benefits of creek rehabilitation: building a business case for public investments in urban green infrastructure. Environ Manag 55:1354–1365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0471-7
Moore JF (1993) Predators and prey: a new ecology of competition. Harv Bus Rev 71(3):75–86
Nordhaus W (2019) Climate change: the ultimate challenge for economics. Am Econ Rev 109(6):1991–2014. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.109.6.1991
Peng T, Deng H (2021) Evaluating urban resource and environment carrying capacity by using an innovative indicator system based on eco-civilization—a case study of Guiyang. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:6941–6955. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11020-7
Pipkin S, Fuentes A (2017) Spurred to upgrade: a review of triggers and consequences of industrial upgrading in the global value chain literature. World Dev 98:536–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.05.009
Prete AL (2013) Economic literacy, inequality, and financial development. Econ Lett 118(1):74–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2012.09.029
Rajagopalan N, Bilec MM, Landis AE (2012) Life cycle assessment evaluation of green product labeling systems for residential construction. Int J Life Cycle Assess 17:753–763. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-012-0416-9
Ren S, Liu Z, Zhanbayev R, Du M (2022) Does the internet development put pressure on energy-saving potential for environmental sustainability? Evidence from China. J Econ Anal 1(1):50–65. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea01010004
Ribeiro HV, Rybski D, Kropp JP (2019) Effects of changing population or density on urban carbon dioxide emissions. Nat Commun 10(1):3204. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11184-y
Shan SL (2014) Chinese cultural policy and the cultural industries. City Cult Soc 5(3):115–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccs.2014.07.004
Sovacool BK, Griffiths S (2020) Culture and low-carbon energy transitions. Nat Sustain 3(9):685–693. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0519-4
Stępniewska M (2021) The capacity of urban parks for providing regulating and cultural ecosystem services versus their social perception. Land Use Policy 111:105778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105778
Su B, Ang BW (2010) Input–output analysis of CO2 emissions embodied in trade: the effects of spatial aggregation. Ecol Econ 70(1):10–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.08.016
Tao A (2022) Study on the path of coordinated development between carbon emission reduction and economy in Guangdong Province. Energy Rep 8:477–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.03.104
Tol RS (2018) The economic impacts of climate change. Rev Environ Econ Policy. https://doi.org/10.1093/reep/rex027
Wang J (2020) Urban government capacity and economic performance: an analysis of Chinese cities. Environ Plan A: Econ Space 52(5):981–1004. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X19887478
Wang Y, Yang H, Sun R (2020) Effectiveness of China’s provincial industrial carbon emission reduction and optimization of carbon emission reduction paths in “lagging regions”: efficiency-cost analysis. J Environ Manag 275:111221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111221
Wang G, Peng W, Xiang J, Ning L, Yu Y (2022a) Modelling spatiotemporal carbon dioxide emission at the urban scale based on DMSP-OLS and NPP-VIIRS data: a case study in China. Urban Clim 46:101326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101326
Wang J, Dong X, Dong K (2022b) How does ICT agglomeration affect carbon emissions? The case of Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in China. Energy Econ 111:106107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106107
Wang KL, Pang SQ, Zhang FQ, Miao Z, Sun HP (2022c) The impact assessment of smart city policy on urban green total-factor productivity: evidence from China. Environ Impact Assess Rev 94:106756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2022.106756
Wang J, Wang W, Liu Y, Wu H (2023) Can industrial robots reduce carbon emissions? Based on the perspective of energy rebound effect and labor factor flow in China. Technol Soc 72:102208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102208
Wu H, Xu L, Ren S, Hao Y, Yan G (2020) How do energy consumption and environmental regulation affect carbon emissions in China? New evidence from a dynamic threshold panel model. Resour Policy 67:101678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101678
Wu H, Hao Y, Ren S, Yang X, Xie G (2021) Does internet development improve green total factor energy efficiency? Evidence from China. Energy Policy 153:112247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112247
Wu D, Xie Y, Lyu S (2023a) Disentangling the complex impacts of urban digital transformation and environmental pollution: evidence from smart city pilots in China. Sustain Cities Soc 88:104266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.104266
Wu Q, Han L, Li S, Wang S, Cong Y, Liu K … Hao J (2023b) Facility-level emissions and synergistic control of energy-related air pollutants and carbon dioxide in China. Environ Sci Technol 57(11):4504–4512. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c07704
Xiang Y, Cui H, Bi Y (2023) The impact and channel effects of banking competition and government intervention on carbon emissions: evidence from China. Energy Policy 175:113476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113476
Xie X, Li K, Liu Z, Ai H (2021) Curse or blessing: how does natural resource dependence affect city-level economic development in China? Austral J Agric Resour Econ 65(2):413–448. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.12423
Xu H, Liu B, Qiu L, Liu X, Lin W, Liu B (2022) Does the new energy demonstration cities construction reduce CO2 emission? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29(33):50408–50426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19436-z
Xu Y, Zhang R, Dong B, Wang J (2023) Can the construction of low-carbon cities reduce haze pollution? J Environ Plan Manag 66(3):590–620. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2021.2000372
Yan B, Wang F, Dong M, Ren J, Liu J, Shan J (2022) How do financial spatial structure and economic agglomeration affect carbon emission intensity? Theory extension and evidence from China. Econ Model 108:105745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2021.105745
Yang F, Wang C (2021) The mechanism of financial development promoting technological innovation in strategic emerging industries. Technol Anal Strateg Manag 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2021.1988555
Yang J, Xiong G, Shi D (2022) Innovation and sustainable: can innovative city improve energy efficiency? Sustain Cities Soc 80:103761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.103761
Yang S, Jahanger A, Hossain MR (2023) How effective has the low-carbon city pilot policy been as an environmental intervention in curbing pollution? Evidence from Chinese industrial enterprises. Energy Econ 118:106523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2023.106523
Yi Y, Wang Y, Li Y, Qi J (2021) Impact of urban density on carbon emissions in China. Appl Econ 53(53):6153–6165. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2021.1937491
Yi M, Liu Y, Sheng MS, Wen L (2022) Effects of digital economy on carbon emission reduction: new evidence from China. Energy Policy 171:113271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113271
Yu Y, Zhang N (2021) Low-carbon city pilot and carbon emission efficiency: quasi-experimental evidence from China. Energy Econ 96:105125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105125
Yu C, Long H, Tu C, Tan Y, Zang C, Zhou Y (2022a) Assessing the effectiveness of innovative city pilots in improving urban carbon emission performance: a spatial difference-in-difference approach. Front Environ Sci 10:983711. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.983711
Yu Y, Chen X, Zhang N (2022b) Innovation and energy productivity: an empirical study of the innovative city pilot policy in China✰. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 176:121430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121430
Zafar MW, Zaidi SAH, Sinha A, Gedikli A, Hou F (2019) The role of stock market and banking sector development, and renewable energy consumption in carbon emissions: insights from G-7 and N-11 countries. Resour Policy 62:427–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2019.05.003
Zhai Z, Fu X, Yi M, Sheng M, Guang F (2022) Haze management: is urban public transportation priority effective? Environ Sci Pollut Res 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17871-y
Zhang Y, Fu B (2023) Impact of China’s establishment of ecological civilization pilot zones on carbon dioxide emissions. J Environ Manag 325:116652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116652
Zhang J, Zheng T (2023) Can dual pilot policy of innovative city and low carbon city promote green lifestyle transformation of residents? J Clean Prod 405:136711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136711
Zhang X, Luo L, Skitmore M (2015) Household carbon emission research: an analytical review of measurement, influencing factors and mitigation prospects. J Clean Prod 103:873–883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.04.024
Zhang Y, Li S, Luo T, Gao J (2020) The effect of emission trading policy on carbon emission reduction: evidence from an integrated study of pilot regions in China. J Clean Prod 265:121843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121843
Zhang B, Dong W, Yao J (2022a) How does digital transformation of city governance affect environmental pollution: a natural experiment from the pilot policy of “National Information City for Public Service” in China. Sustainability 14(21):14158. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114158
Zhang M, Hong Y, Zhu B (2022b) Does national innovative city pilot policy promote green technology progress? Evidence from China. J Clean Prod 363:132461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132461
Zhangqi Z, Zhuli C, Lingyun H (2022) Technological innovation, industrial structural change and carbon emission transferring via trade—an agent-based modeling approach. Technovation 110:102350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2021.102350
Zhao Z, Zheng Y, Chen Y, Ye C, He Z (2021) Research on the impact of innovative city construction on financial development: evidence from China. Discret Dyn Nat Soc 2021:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/7541690
Zhao F, Hu Z, Zhao X (2023) Does innovative city construction improve urban carbon unlocking efficiency? Evidence from China. Sustain Cities Soc 92:104494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.104494
Zheng Y, Peng J, Xiao J, Su P, Li S (2020) Industrial structure transformation and provincial heterogeneity characteristics evolution of air pollution: evidence of a threshold effect from China. Atmos Pollut Res 11(3):598–609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2019.12.011
Zheng C, Deng F, Zhuo C, Sun W (2022) Green credit policy, institution supply and enterprise green innovation. J Econ Anal 1(1):20–34. https://doi.org/10.58567/jea01010002
Zhou X, Zhao X (2022) Does diversified environmental regulation make FDI cleaner and more beneficial to China’s green growth? Environ Sci Pollut Res 29(3):3487–3497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15937-5
Zhou B, Zhang C, Song H, Wang Q (2019) How does emission trading reduce China’s carbon intensity? An exploration using a decomposition and difference-in-differences approach. Sci Total Environ 676:514–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.303
Zhu M, Tao Y (2022) Economic policy uncertainty, entrepreneurial risk appetite, and corporation innovation in innovative cities–empirical evidence from the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Manag Decis (ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-05-2022-0583
Funding
This research is jointly funded by Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (Grant No. 9202016) and Humanities and Social Sciences Fund of the Ministry of Education (Grant No. 20YJCZH026).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Materials preparation, thesis conception, data verification, and draft writing were completed by Deheng Xiao. Data collection and analysis were done by Jianlong Wang and Weilong Wang. Conceptualization and funding acquisition were made by Jingbo Fan. Supervision and verification were done by Lingchun Hou. All authors commented on the manuscript of the previous edition. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval
This is an original article that did not use other information that requires ethical approval.
Consent to participate
All authors participated in this article.
Consent for publication
All authors have given consent to the publication of this article.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Xiao, D., Fan, J., Wang, W. et al. Innovation city and low-carbon future: a quasinatural experiment from China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 98004–98019 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29280-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29280-4