Supplementary file 1_How do China’s low-carbon pilot policies reshape urban ecological performance across time and space?.docx

This study examines whether low-carbon pilot policies (LCPPs) improve urban ecological welfare performance (EWP), the mechanisms through which these effects operate, and whether the policies generate spatial spillovers across cities.</p>Methods<p>We construct a comprehensive EWP index for 273 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2023 using the entropy weight method and estimate the effects of LCPPs using a staggered difference-in-differences framework.

Green technological innovation and digitalization are examined as transmission channels, urbanization is considered as a moderating factor, and spatial spillover effects are assessed using a Spatial Durbin Model.</p>Results<p>LCPPs significantly improve urban EWP, with the effects exhibiting persistence and a lagged pattern. Green technological innovation and digital transformation constitute important channels through which LCPPs enhance EWP, while higher levels of urbanization strengthen the policy effect.