How Does the New-Type Urbanization Policy Affect Urban Low-Carbon Development?

Abstract

The profound transformations brought about by the rapid advancement of urbanization have had a significant impact on low-carbon cities. In this study, we utilize the "New-type Urbanization Policy" (NTUP) as a quasi-natural experiment to examine the influence of NTUP on carbon emissions using the difference-in-differences (DID). Our findings indicate that NTUP effectively reduces carbon emissions and enhances emission efficiency, with consistent results even after conducting rigorous tests and addressing endogeneity concerns. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that resource-based cities, eastern cities and small- and medium-sized cities benefit more from NTUP in terms of reducing carbon emissions and improving efficiency. The mediating effect demonstrates that NTUP's impact on carbon emissions primarily operates through three mechanisms: promoting industrial structure upgrading, reducing energy use and promoting green technology innovation. This research offers valuable insights for achieving urban low-carbon sustainable development through new-type urbanization initiatives.