Does the national sustainable development plan for resource-based cities promote inclusive green growth in both “quantity” and “quality”?

Purpose In China, resource-based cities, being of vital significance for energy and resources, are confronted with severe threats such as depletion, environmental deterioration, and economic disequilibrium. Inclusive green growth, in response to the two predominant global trends of inclusiveness and greening, represents the inevitable path for the international community to pursue sustainable development. Therefore, this study aims to explore the inclusive green growth path of resource-based cities in China. Design/methodology/approach Firstly, this research measures inclusive green growth in both quantity and quality, overcoming single-dimensional limitations. Secondly, based on the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) for resource-based cities (2013–2020) as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper explores whether resource-based cities can achieve simultaneous improvement in both “quantity” and “quality” through DID method. Additionally, it explores the role of economic, industrial, and population agglomeration in promoting inclusive green development in resource-based cities. Findings The results show that the NSDP significantly promotes the simultaneous improvement in both “quantity” and “quality” of inclusive green growth, and this promoting effect shows a fluctuating upward trend with the increase of years. Besides, mechanisms such as energy conservation and consumption reduction, pollution abatement, industrial transformation and upgrading, and essential factor structure optimization have played a significant mediating role, while the agglomeration effects of the economy, industry and population have also played a significant moderating role. Originality/value These results provide significant policy implication for the long-term planning of industrial development of resource-based cities, promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, correcting resource misallocation, and exerting agglomeration effect.