Group effort or single-handed? A study on the mechanisms by which multistakeholder collaborative governance influences carbon emissions in urban agglomerations

The complexity of carbon emission reduction processes renders singular governance models inefficient, whereas multistakeholder collaborative governance can effectively promote carbon reduction efforts in urban agglomerations. In this study, a two-way fixed effects model is used to analyze the impact mechanism and spatial spillover effects of multistakeholder collaborative governance on carbon emissions in urban agglomerations from 2011 to 2022, and the moderating role in terms of different urbanization level and spatial structure is explored. The results indicate that collaboration among the government, the public, and enterprises is conducive to reducing carbon emissions and that the carbon reduction effect of multistakeholder collaborative governance has significant spatial spillover. Multistakeholder collaborative governance has a stronger positive effect on carbon reduction in regions with a high urbanization level and polycentric spatial structure. The carbon reduction effect of multistakeholder collaborative governance can maximize by increasing the level of green technology innovation and strategically using foreign investment. The constructed multistakeholder collaborative governance framework offers a valuable contribution to understanding collaborative governance and has practical applications for carbon emissions management in urban agglomerations.