中国自贸试验区的设立推动城市低碳发展了吗?

Has the establishment of pilot free trade zones in China promoted low⁃carbon urban development?

低碳发展的核心在于减碳源和增碳汇,自贸试验区作为全面深化改革试验田,其建设对城市低碳发展具有重要意义。该研究基于2007—2020年中国288个城市面板数据,首先从碳排放和碳吸收两大层面综合评估了城市碳中和水平,进而运用多期双重差分法和空间杜宾模型探析自贸试验区设立的低碳效应。结果表明:自贸试验区的设立对所在城市低碳发展具有显著的推动作用。具体来说,自贸试验区的设立可以通过提高城市的数字化水平和资源配置效率从内部驱动城市低碳发展;同时,政府对绿色发展的关注程度越高,使得传导机制产生的碳排放抑制作用越强、碳吸收促进作用越大,越有利于城市低碳发展。不仅如此,自贸试验区设立的碳排放抑制效应、碳吸收促进效应以及碳中和效应的发挥还会因设立批次、城市区位和城市特征的不同而存在差异。其中,前两批片区、秦岭-淮河以南区域、开放程度较高城市,其低碳效应整体较为明显。进一步地,自贸试验区的设立对城市低碳发展的影响还具有一定的空间溢出效应。针对上述相关研究发现,总结提出:作好顶层设计、发挥比较优势,梯度式推进低碳发展标杆片区;加快贸易便利化和数字金融改革,推动传统优势产业数字化转型,促进数字化与低碳化深度融合;引进高质量外资与提升监管服务效能相结合,提高资源配置效率;以数字平台和自贸联盟为抓手发挥片区辐射带动效应。可见,该研究对于完善自贸试验区的建设、促进城市低碳发展和推进碳中和目标实现具有一定理论和现实意义。

The core of low-carbon development lies in reducing carbon sources and increasing carbon sinks,and the construction of free trade zones(FTZs),as an experimental field for China’s comprehensively deepening reforms,is of great significance to urban lowcarbon development.Based on the panel data from 288 cities in China from 2007 to 2020,this paper first comprehensively evaluated the carbon neutrality levels of cities from two aspects:carbon emission and sequestration.Then,it used the multi-period difference-indifferences method and the spatial Durbin model to explore the‘low carbon effect’of the establishment of FTZs.The results showed that:the establishment of FTZs had a significant impact on the low-carbon development of the cities where they were located.Specifically,the establishment of FTZs could drive urban low-carbon development from within the cities by improving their digitization and resource allocation efficiency.At the same time,increased government attention to green development enhanced the carbon emission disincentive and boosted carbon uptake facilitation,fostering a more robust urban low-carbon development.Moreover,the carbon emission suppression effect,carbon absorption promotion effect,and carbon neutral effect of establishing the FTZs varied according to the batches of the establishment,city location,and city characteristics.The‘low-carbon effect’of the first two batches of FTZs,the region south of the Qinling-Huaihe River,and the cities with a higher degree of openness were more pronounced overall.Furthermore,the establishment of the FTZs also had a certain spatial spillover effect on urban low-carbon development.Based on these findings,the paper suggests prioritizing top-level design,exerting comparative advantages,and promoting the low-carbon development benchmark area in a gradient manner.Acceleration of trade facilitation and digital financial reform,promotion of the digital transformation of traditional industries with advantages,and encouragement of digital and low-carbon deep integration are also recommended.The introduction of highquality foreign investment should be combined with the improvement of the effectiveness of supervision and services to improve the efficiency of resource allocation.The study proposes leveraging digital platforms and free trade alliances to maximize the FTZs’catalytic effects.Overall,this study offers significant theoretical and practical insights for enhancing the construction of the FTZs,promoting urban low-carbon development,and advancing towards the goal of carbon neutrality.