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Urban agglomeration is identified as the important geographic units of country development while contributing immensely to carbon emission. This paper explored energy-related carbon emission characteristics of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) - the typical urban agglomeration in China, from cities and sectors perspectives. By conducting LMDI model, this paper decomposed carbon emission by sector and by cities to illustrate the key impact factors in the PRD, explored the reasons for the change of driving effects in urban agglomeration in view of regional difference. It concludes that, most cities carbon emission rebound around 2017, while carbon emission sharply decreased. There are differences in key reduction industries in different cities, while production and supply of electric power and transport sector had negative impact on reduction processes in most cities. The significant inhibition effect of energy intensity is mainly attributed to the great decrease of energy intensity in main industries reduction cities, such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Foshan. Based on the characteristics of carbon emission and social and economic development of the PRD, this paper puts forward specific suggestions and measures for differentiated emission reduction in urban agglomeration, and provides a new idea for the governance of carbon emission in urban agglomeration. • The carbon emission inventory of typical urban agglomeration was built. • Carbon emission characteristics were diagnosed from cities and sectors perspectives. • Great disparities in contribution of carbon emission variation exists sectors and cities. • Energy intensity and economic growth were key drives of PRD region carbon emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]