Unlocking the nexus: exploring the effect of urban green innovation on haze pollution and carbon emissions intensity in Chinese cities

Abstract

As a comprehensive and systematic approach to innovation, green innovation has become an important tool for reducing haze and carbon intensity. Based on balanced panel data at the city level in China, we use the two-way fixed-effects model to explore the impact of urban green innovation on haze pollution and carbon emission intensity. The conclusions are as follows: 1) The influence of green innovation on carbon emissions intensity and haze pollution exhibits a significant inverted U-shaped relationship. 2) We explore the mediating channels through which green innovation affects carbon emissions intensity and haze pollution. Specifically, the inverted U-shaped impacts of green innovation on energy intensity and resource dependence. 3) The inverted U-shaped relationship between green innovation and carbon emissions intensity holds for both resource-based and non-resource-based cities. 4) The U-shaped relationships, whether regarding carbon emissions intensity or haze pollution, are only applicable to non-environmental priority cities. This paper offers valuable insights for the formulation of more effective environmental management measures by governments.