How low-carbon technology collaboration mitigates carbon inequality in China

Advancing low-carbon technology cooperation and addressing carbon inequality are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study investigates the relationship between low-carbon technology cooperation and carbon inequality across 282 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2022. We collected carbon emission data for each district and county under every prefecture-level city and measured the carbon inequality index for each prefecture-level city using the Dagum Gini coefficient method. Additionally, we gathered data on low-carbon technologies jointly applied for by each prefecture-level city with other prefecture-level cities to indicate the city’s level of low-carbon technology cooperation. Research findings indicate that enhanced cooperation in low-carbon technologies can significantly mitigate urban carbon inequality. Mechanism analysis reveals that this effect is achieved through industrial optimization and reduced energy intensity. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that the effectiveness of such cooperation varies depending on a city’s industrial base, infrastructure development, intellectual property protection, and government governance commitment. Based on these empirical findings, the study proposes targeted policy recommendations to advance low-carbon technology cooperation and reduce carbon inequality.