Urban Green Tech Transfer and Carbon Emissions in Emerging Economies: Evidence from China

Facing the international disparity and regional imbalance in green technology across China, this paper empirically examines the carbon reduction effects of intercity green technology transfer (InGTT). Using green patent transfer network data from 284 cities between 2007 and 2019, and applying both a two-way fixed effects model and an instrumental variable approach, the results show that InGTT plays a significant role in lowering carbon emissions. The mechanism operates through the promotion of green technology innovation, particularly collaborative innovation, with the impact being more pronounced in economically developed regions. Furthermore, the findings reveal an inverted U-shaped threshold effect of a city’s absorptive capacity. Overall, this study provides new empirical evidence and policy insights for emerging economies on leveraging technology transfer to achieve coordinated regional carbon emission reduction.