The development of renewable energy has become an important means for the world to cope with climate change, ensure energy security and protect the ecological environment. Using the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2013 to 2021, this paper used the mediating effect model and the spatial Durbin model (SDM) to explore the mechanism and spatial effects of renewable energy development on carbon emission reduction. The results show that: (1) The results of mechanism analysis show that renewable energy development reduces carbon intensity by improving energy structure, promoting industrial structure optimization and industrial structure upgrading. (2) Renewable energy development can not only reduce the local carbon intensity, but also have a positive spillover effect on the carbon intensity of neighboring regions. (3) Further analysis shows that renewable energy development has a dynamic effect on carbon emissions. The heterogeneity analysis shows that compared with the Yellow River basin, renewable energy development significantly influences carbon emission reduction in the Yangtze River Economic Belt region. Energy-rich areas fall into the "resource curse", which makes renewable energy development’s carbon emission reduction effect not significant. This paper has certain reference significance for promoting reasonable decomposition between regions and formulating renewable energy development policies.
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