[Effect of Low-carbon City Pilot on Household Carbon Emissions]

As a major source of carbon emissions， household consumption is a key domain for demand-side carbon mitigation. Using data from four waves of the China Family Panel Studies， this study employs a staggered difference-in-differences model to identify the causal effect of the low-carbon city pilot on household carbon emissions. It further explores the underlying mechanisms and conducts heterogeneity analyses based on household characteristics. In addition， it comprehensively assesses the impact of the low-carbon city pilot on household carbon emissions across different consumption categories and specific items. The results indicate that the low-carbon city pilot significantly reduced household carbon emissions， and this conclusion remained robust to a series of checks， including sample selection， alternative measurements of key variables， and placebo tests. The reduction in household carbon emissions was driven primarily by a decline in household consumption levels rather than by improvements in carbon emission intensity. The negative effect was more pronounced among high-income households， married households， and non-elderly households， while the difference between urban and rural households was insignificant. Moreover， the low-carbon city pilot reduced indirect emissions， housing-related emissions， and emissions from home maintenance but increased emissions from electricity use. These findings provide household-level policy implications for achieving the dual-carbon goals， addressing climate challenges， and promoting a comprehensive green transition in socio-economic development.