Synergistic Pathways and Potential Assessment for Pollution and Carbon Reduction in Typical Coastal Cities: A Case Study of Haishu District Ningbo

Under the “dual carbon” strategy, achieving synergy between pollution reduction and carbon mitigation is crucial for the sustainable development of coastal cities. However, existing studies frequently emphasize single-carbon reduction measures whilst neglecting to acknowledge the cross-sectoral synergistic effects. This study takes the Haishu District of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province as a case study and quantitatively assesses the effectiveness of synergistic governance strategies across four key pathways: photovoltaic power generation, carbon sequestration by green land, new energy transportation, and waste incineration for power generation. The results demonstrate that multi-sectoral coordinated management significantly enhances overall emission reduction efficiency, with the photovoltaic and waste-to-energy pathways showing the highest carbon reduction potential. This study establishes a multi-pathway framework for evaluating the synergistic effects of pollution and carbon reduction. It also provides scientific support for decision-making regarding the transition to a low-carbon economy in coastal cities, and proposes a replicable evaluation methodology that can be used to implement dual carbon strategies in other coastal regions.