Synergizing pollution control and carbon reduction in China’s construction industry

• We study SPCCR in construction industry in China. • 289 cities from 2012 to 2022 are analyzed using CSSM. • The pollution control and carbon reduction subsystems both improved. • Four optimized configuration pathways for efficient SPCCR are identified. • SPCCR strategies are heterogeneous by regions. Using panel data for 289 Chinese cities from 2012 to 2022, this study assesses synergistic pollution control and carbon reduction (SPCCR) in the construction sector through the Composite System Synergy Model (CSSM). To identify the conditions associated with higher synergy levels, we further apply dynamic Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). The main results show that: (1) The pollution control (PC) and carbon reduction (CR) subsystems both improved steadily over the study period. Even so, synergy between the two remains limited, pointing to considerable room for strengthening synergy through more integrated governance. (2) Four optimized configuration pathways for efficient SPCCR are identified, including the structural transformation − information disclosure co-driven pathway, industrial transformation − economic agglomeration-led pathway, balanced economic − energy − information pathway, and cleaner production − information disclosure pathway. (3) SPCCR strategies are heterogeneous by regions, specifically developed urban agglomerations leverage differentiated positioning under national policy frameworks to optimize SPCCR, while developing regions actively enhanced inter-regional collaboration to accelerate sustainable transitions in the construction sector.