Analysis of the coupling coordination spatial network and driving factors of urban pollution and carbon emissions in China

Abstract With the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, the issues of urban pollution emissions and carbon emissions have become increasingly prominent. The coupling coordination relationship between pollution emissions and carbon emissions has also become a key issue affecting sustainable urban development. This paper, based on a systems coupling perspective and social network analysis methods, examines the spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of the coupling coordination between pollution emissions and carbon emissions in China. The findings that: (1) There are significant regional differences in the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of pollution and carbon emissions across various regions in China, exhibiting a gradient decreasing trend. The overall national improvement in coupling coordination is limited, indicating a need to strengthen synergistic governance of pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction. (2) The CCD between cities has undergone phased development from ‘barely coordinated—primary coordination—intermediate coordination’, with most cities still at the primary coordination stage. The central and western regions have yet to reach a more advanced coordination state. (3) Analysis of the driving mechanisms indicates that various complex factors, such as economic development, industrial structure, environmental regulation, and green technological innovation, significantly influence coupling coordination.