ABSTRACT Integrated energy system (IES) has become significant in the global energy revolution because of its unique advantage of promoting clean energy use and improving energy efficiency. However, its low-carbon operational optimization and capacity allocation challenges have sharply increased because, as its scale continuously grows, its inherent strongly coupled multi energy flow and high nonlinearity characteristics have become more prominent. This study proposes a distributed low-carbon operational optimization mechanism for an IES using integrated demand response (IDR) and ladder carbon trading (LCT). First, a low-carbon IES was modeled as a coupled model between energy operators (EO) that contain combined cooling, heating, and power systems (CCHP) and flexible users (FU) based on the Stackelberg game. Second, the operational optimization model was formulated as a source-load synergistic operation scheduling mechanism based on IDR and the LCT. Finally, the strategy of each stakeholder was obtained using a modified distributed algorithm of genetic algorithm nested quadratic programming (GA-QP). The effectiveness of the proposed model was verified through a case study. The economic benefits for each stakeholder improved, as confirmed through the experimental results. The energy cost of the FU decreased by 4.42%, and the revenue from energy sales of the EO increased by 11.9%; renewable energy was prioritized for consumption, with a consumption rate of 100%; the total output of the core devices for energy cascade utilization increased by 15.6%, significantly improving energy supply efficiency; the total carbon emissions decreased by 8.64%; and power and heat loss rates were 0% and 0.00059%, respectively. Highlights With the rapid development of renewable energy, The integrated energy system relies on its inherent operational advantages of high flexibility, high toughness, and multi energy coupling cascade utilization, demonstrates unique advantages in serving as a clean and renewable energy carrier and adapting to the development of distributed energy The energy cost of flexible users has decreased by 4.42%, and the revenue from energy sales of energy operators has increased by 11.9%; Renewable energy is prioritized for consumption, with a consumption rate of 100%; The total output of the core devices for energy cascade utilization has increased by 15.6%, significantly improving energy supply efficiency; The total carbon emissions decreased by 8.64%, both power and heat loss rates are 0%, the error rate of energy supply is 0.00059% Based on the above research, this paper is established a distributed low-carbon operation optimization model for Integrated energy system coupled the EO that contain CCHP and the FU based on Stackelberg game In view of the gradual deepening of the coupling degree of the IES, the increasingly obvious characteristics of multi-agent, the difficulty of centralized scheduling to protect the interests of each independent entity, and the inadequacy of the system’s energy cascade utilization advantages, this paper establishes a bilateral distributed operation optimization model based on Game theory In response to the insufficient utilization of the advantages of multi energy coupling in existing research on IES, insufficient attention paid to the interaction between supply and demand on both sides of the system, and insufficient enthusiasm of users as independent entities to participate in system operation scheduling, this article adopts a integrated demand response as the load side operation scheduling strategy