Collaborative emission reduction research on dual-pilot policies of the low-carbon city and smart city from the perspective of multiple innovations

This paper selects the panel data of 305 cities in China from 2009 to 2020 to conduct quasi-natural experiments with the low-carbon pilot city policy and smart pilot city policy in China, and establishes the multi-period difference-in-difference model and mediating effect model to explore the collaborative emission reduction path of the pilot city policies. The empirical results show that under the dual-pilot policy, the urban carbon emission reduction efficiency is significantly improved, and the efficiency is higher than that under the single-pilot policy. Dual-pilot policies of the low-carbon city and smart city can create a synergistic emission reduction effect by improving the level of urban digital innovation, market-oriented innovation, and industrial innovation. The carbon emission reduction effect of Dual-pilot policies has regional heterogeneity and is more obvious in the eastern cities in China. The research can provide theoretical support for the planning of pilot cities, which is conducive to the sustainable development of the low-carbon economy in China.