Urban Bias in Dual-Carbon Governance: A Configurational Analysis of Local Governments’ Attention to Rural Decarbonization

Key Points

• The study aims to investigate why local governments in China exhibit urban bias in dual-carbon governance, particularly neglecting agricultural emissions.
• Analyzed 104 recent carbon peak implementation plans from local governments using coded text analysis.
• Developed a theoretical framework combining economic structure, fiscal endowment, ecological base, and innovation in governance.
• Employed fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to explore attention disparities.
• Regions showing urban bias in dual-carbon governance lack emphasis on market-based tools and substantive commitment to targets.
• Areas with higher attention to agricultural decarbonization tend to focus on innovative market-based governance tools.
• Institutional capacity to extend urban ecological practices to rural areas is a notable characteristic of engaged local governments.

Abstract