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The low-carbon city pilot policy (LCPP) in China is an active response to climate change, with cities serving as the main agents of action. Enhancing green innovation at a city-wide level can effectively support the promotion of pilot cities' efforts towards sustainable growth. Using panel data from 204 prefectures collected from 2005 to 2019, we adopted the time-varying difference-in-differences (DID) model and the spatial Durbin model combined with time-varying DID (SDM-DID) to determine the impact of the LCPP on urban green innovation and its temporal and spatial heterogeneity. Empirical findings showed that (1) LCPP had a significant positive impact on urban green innovation, and green invention patents had a greater green innovation effect than green utility model patents. (2) Heterogeneity analysis revealed that in terms of geographical location, the pilot policy was more effective in promoting urban green innovation in the eastern and central regions in comparison to the western region. At the city level, the pilot policy had a greater impact on green innovation in first- and second-tier cities. With regard to city scale, large-scale cities showed a greater impact on green innovation than small- and medium-sized cities. (3) Mechanistic testing revealed that LCPPs stimulated urban green innovation by talent aggregation, increasing government support for innovation, and public participation; but the mechanism for alleviating financing constraints has yet to be effectively validated. (4) The LCPP showed a spatial spillover effect, whereby one city's low-carbon governance yielded institutional dividends for neighboring cities both geographically and economically, and the impact was more pronounced in those cities that were not resource-based. This study presents empirical evidence at the urban and spatial levels, supporting the comprehensive promotion of low-carbon city construction and development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization and industrialization accelerate, China’s water resources are facing the double dilemma of inefficient utilization and serious pollution. This research employs the fixed effect difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine the impact of the country’s industrial wastewater emission reduction policy in the pilot city for a water ecological civilization (PCWEC). The findings indicate after PCWEC implementation in 2013 that there was a notable decrease in the discharge of industrial wastewater in pilot cities compared to non-pilot cities, and that the policy’s effectiveness exhibited a significant strengthening trend from 2014 to 2018. However, the interaction of total population, population density, fixed assets, regional GDP, total water resources, and proportion of the secondary industry in GDP has greatly weakened the policy’s effect. Regional results show that compared to the east and central regions, the policy effect in the west region is more significant, whereby the gap between pilot cities and non-pilot cities in the east and central regions is narrowing. To expedite the construction of water ecological civilization in China, it is necessary to comprehensively strengthen the management of water conservation and formulate industrial structure policies according to local conditions.

Low-carbon goals significantly vary in regions and periods. This study analyzes the goal setting at prefecture level in China. It shows that the low-carbon achievement in the last term significantly affects the setting of subsequent goal. Specifically, 1% increase in the achievement of low-carbon goals in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011–2015) decreased the goals in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020) by 0.35–1.09%. In addition, the goals in low-carbon pilot cities are less ambitious than those in non-pilot ones. It is suggested to weigh more on low-carbon development when evaluating the performance of local authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Constructing a the fixed effect DID model included water ecological factor. • Assessing the effectiveness of the water ecological civilization pilot city policy. • Discussing the gap between the pilot and non-pilot cities in diffidence regions. • The effect of water ecological civilization policy is weakened by complex factors. As urbanization and industrialization accelerate, China's water resources are facing the double dilemma of inefficient utilization and serious pollution. This research employs the fixed effect difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine the impact of the country's industrial wastewater emission reduction policy in the pilot city for a water ecological civilization (PCWEC). The findings indicate after PCWEC implementation in 2013 that there was a notable decrease in the discharge of industrial wastewater in pilot cities compared to non-pilot cities, and that the policy's effectiveness exhibited a significant strengthening trend from 2014 to 2018. However, the interaction of total population, population density, fixed assets, regional GDP, total water resources, and proportion of the secondary industry in GDP has greatly weakened the policy's effect. Regional results show that compared to the east and central regions, the policy effect in the west region is more significant, whereby the gap between pilot cities and non-pilot cities in the east and central regions is narrowing. To expedite the construction of water ecological civilization in China, it is necessary to comprehensively strengthen the management of water conservation and formulate industrial structure policies according to local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the predicament of sustainable development in traditional cities, the low-carbon city, as a novel urban development mode, provides a feasible idea for resolving the tensions among urban development, resource conservation and environmental protection. Using prefecture-level panel data during 2007–2016, we adopt the difference-in-differences model to explore the impact of low-carbon city construction on green growth. Afterward, we estimate the heterogeneity of economic-environmental effects on cities, and those effects are attributed to different scales and locations. The robustness tests reveal that low-carbon pilot cities significantly and continuously benefit in terms of the green total factor productivity through technical effects being partly transformed into green technical progress and structural effects. Additionally, the construction of low-carbon cities has scale economy and regional differences. Cities with larger scales, more complete infrastructure and better foundations for technology have more significantly positive effects on green growth. These findings also apply to cities in similar developing countries seeking to achieve economic transformation and green growth. • Quasi-natural experiment approach, Difference-In-Differences model, is applied. • Low-carbon city construction significantly and sustainably facilitates green growth. • Low-carbon city initiative promotes technological progress and industrial restructuring. • The effects of low-carbon city initiative vary greatly among different locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public policy is crucial for the diffusion of green innovation, and debates exist about the effects of different policies. This paper explores appropriate types of policy instruments by explaining the quick rise in sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in China. Based on a three-year longitudinal dataset across 88 cities, the study shows that consumer-oriented policies are able to significantly promote EV diffusion. Consumer-oriented policies target consumers to facilitate their usage of cars and lower the lifecycle cost, and typical examples include electricity charging and traffic management. This paper contributes to the literature of clean technology policy in two ways. Firstly, it reveals and empirically tests the importance of consumer-oriented policy instruments for the deployment of green innovation. Secondly, it is one of very few scholarly works offering a detailed review of city-level policies in China's EV industry, which will be useful for scholars who are also interested in similar topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New energy vehicles (NEVs) are considered as the potential measure to address urban air pollution, and the Chinese government has launched a pilot subsidy scheme to improve its market penetration. We explored the environmental effects of subsidy on urban air pollution from the extensive and intensive margins and formulated a detailed panel dataset, covering 286 cities in China over the years 2006–2018. Moreover, the PSM-DID method and the instrumental strategy are used to confirm the robustness and validity of empirical results on the basis of comprehensive analysis of potential endogenous issues. The results indicate that the implementation of NEVs subsidy policy could significantly improve urban air quality in general, and as the subsidies scale increased by 1%, air pollution level will be reduced by about 0.15%. Then, from the perspective of the dynamic effect of subsidy, it not only has remarkable current environmental effect, but also an effective technology route in the long run. Simultaneously, compared with traditional intervention tools, subsidies enhance the diffusion of NEVs, reduce emissions of air pollutants while meeting residents' travel needs, and thus achieve incentive compatibility, which is the micro-foundation of environmental improvement. Nonetheless, we cannot simply believe the assertion that NEVs subsidy has positive environmental benefits to each region, as the non-clean generation of electricity in some areas will offset the potential environmental benefits. Additionally, the accelerated phase-out of NEVs subsidies at this stage may cause negative externalities of economy and environment, resulting the deadweight loss of industrial dividends accumulated in the early period. Based on above findings, governments should implement more flexible stimulus policies consistent with NEVs industry developments, rather than drastically reducing subsidies, while paying close attention to decarbonization of energy production stage. Unlabelled Image • Two dimensions of NEVs subsidy have obvious current air pollution-reducing effect and achieve incentive compatibility. • Used the PSM-DID method and IV strategy to mitigate potential endogenous issues. • Accelerating the phasing out of NEVs subsidies may result to a dramatic rebound in air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]