Bridging the gap or widening disparity? Exploring the impact of low-carbon energy technology innovation on carbon inequality in Chinese cities

Low-carbon energy technology innovation (LCETI) provides support and impetus for addressing climate change and can potentially eliminate carbon inequality. However, there are certain gaps in the definition and measurement of LCETI. This study provides a new perspective on LCETI and measures it through patent retrieval methods. It also investigates the influence of LCETI on carbon inequality based on data of 286 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2021, filling the research gap in the existing literature and enriching the empirical research on carbon inequality. After the tests of LM, LR, Wald, and Hausman, this study primarily employs the spatial Durbin model and finds that: (1) LCETI can significantly reduce carbon inequality in the local and neighboring cities; a 1 % increase in LCETI can lead to a 0.025 % decrease in carbon inequality in local cities and a 0.071 % decrease in neighboring cities; (2) LCETI can mitigate carbon inequality through promoting income equalization and industry structure optimization; and (3) Innovations in solar and biomass energy technologies have more substantial impacts, whereas hydrogen energy technology primarily shows spatial spillover effects. This study provides insights for policymakers to promote carbon equity through LCETI.