Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Mechanisms of Urban Carbon Productivity in China: Insights from Multi-Scale Spatial Effects Based on the Spatial Durbin Model

Enhancing carbon productivity is fundamental to achieving carbon neutrality while sustaining economic growth. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset of Chinese cities from 2010, 2015, and 2020, this study investigates the spatiotemporal patterns and underlying drivers of urban carbon productivity (UCP). Methods including kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and the spatial Durbin model (SDM) are employed. The results reveal that China’s UCP has improved significantly overall,