Industrial co-agglomeration, green finance and urban carbon emission efficiency: Empirical evidence from Shandong province in China

Abstract

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><a name="_Hlk156583416"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">This study explores the impact of </span></a><a name="_Hlk156583477"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk156583416"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">industrial co-agglomeration</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk156583416"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span>on urban carbon emission efficiency in Shandong Province from China during 2007 to 2020. The moderating effect model is constructed to explore the role green finance in the impact of industrial co-agglomeration on urban carbon emission efficiency. </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We explore the influence mechanism of industrial co-agglomeration on urban carbon emission efficiency.<a name="_Hlk156583540"> Through conditional process analysis, we </a><a name="_Hlk156584855"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk156583540">investigate</span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk156583540"> the moderating effect of green finance in the mechanism of industrial co-agglomeration on </span>urban carbon emission efficiency. Empirical results indicate that: (1) The impact of industrial co-agglomeration on urban carbon emission efficiency is inverted U-shaped. (2) <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Green finance has a positive moderating effect in the impact of industrial co-agglomeration on urban carbon emission efficiency. (3) Industrial co-agglomeration affects urban carbon emission efficiency through scale effect, technological effect and structural effect. (4) Green finance plays a moderating role in the impact pathways of industrial co-agglomeration on urban carbon emission efficiency.<span style="color:red"> </span>Therefore, this paper proposes <a name="_Hlk137756237">targeted recommendations</a> to improve urban carbon emission efficiency according to industrial co-agglomeration and green finance development.<o:p></o:p></span></p>