Effects of civilized cities commendation on urban green innovation: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China

Based on non-economic field promotion tournament theory, this study examines the linkage between civilized cities commendation policy (CCCP) and urban green innovation (UGI). Using the panel data of 279 cities in China from 2003 to 2018, the difference-in-differences, propensity score matching difference-in-differences, and difference-in-differences spatial dobbin models are established to verify the hypotheses. The empirical results show that CCCP has a positive effect on UGI; innovation investments and innovation talents significantly mediate the relationship between CCCP and UGI; environmental governance intensity positively moderates the relationships between CCCP and UGI, innovation investments and UGI, as well as innovation talent agglomeration and UGI; and the influence of CCCP on UGI has a spatial spillover effect and a spatial attenuation boundary. These findings provide practical insights towards the improvement of urban evaluation and commendation systems, as well as green innovation.