Synergizing the reduction of pollution and carbon emissions in chinese cities: spatiotemporal distribution, regional disparities and convergence

Synergizing the reduction of pollution and carbon emissions (SRPC) and coordinated regional development are two key sustainable development strategies in China. However, there is still a lack of research on the measurement of urban SRPC and its regional differences. Based on panel data of 284 cities in China from 2003 to 2019, this paper uses the DPSIRM model to measure the level of SRPC. Then, the Dagum Gini coefficient is adopted to quantify the regional differences and sources of SRPC, and the spatial panel model is used to test convergence. The results show that: (1) The level of SRPC in Chinese cities continues to improve. (2) The overall differences in SRPC between cities show a continuous downward trend. The western region has the largest intra-regional differences and a large inter-regional gap with other regions. (3) There are significant spatial correlations and β -convergence trends of SRPC in Chinese cities, and the convergence rate is lower in eastern cities where the SRPC is higher. In addition, environmental regulation plays an important role in accelerating convergence. • The level of synergistic pollution and carbon reduction (SRPC) is quantified. • The level of SRPC in Chinese cities continues to improve from 2003 to 2019. • Regional differences in urban SRPC in China are decreasing. • The intensity of transvariation is the main source of SRPC differences. • SRPC has a spatial β -convergence trend in China and its four regions.