Ziyuan Kexue (Aug 2023)
The green and low-carbon development effect of China’s new energy demonstration cities
Abstract
[Objective] The construction of new energy demonstration cities is an important measure to achieve sustainable and high-quality development in China, and a comprehensive and objective evaluation of its impact on green and low-carbon development performance is crucial for the further promotion of new energy pilot cities. [Methods] Based on the panel data of 282 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this study analyzed whether the construction of new energy demonstration cities has achieved green and low-carbon development by using the propensity score matching and difference-in-differences methods. [Results] The findings are as follows: (1) The construction of new energy demonstration cities significantly improved the level of green and low-carbon development. (2) Further mechanism test found that the new energy demonstration city policy promoted the green and low-carbon development of pilot cities through fiscal subsidies and financial support, forcing industrial enterprises to transform and upgrade green, but the policy has not significantly promoted green technology innovation. (3) The new energy demonstration city policy had a heterogeneous impact in different regions. The green and low-carbon development level of the western pilot cities has been significantly improved, while the policy effect of the eastern and central pilot cities was not significant; and the new energy demonstration city policy had a positive effect on the green and low-carbon development of resource-based cities, while the policy effect of non-resource-based cities was not obvious. [Conclusion] This paper argues that China should further promote green technology innovation, moderately increase the level of fiscal subsidies and financial support at an appropriate time, and force industrial enterprises to transform and upgrade green, promote the green and low-carbon development of pilot cities, which will have a positive demonstration effect on driving the green and low-carbon development of cities across the country.
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