Abstract: To achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, China has set stricter energy-saving targets, and it is important to evaluate the effects of these targets' policies scientifically. The study finds that the energy-saving targets reduce the scale of carbon emissions, increase the total amount of carbon replacement, and effectively improve cities' carbon neutrality. At the same time, the energy-saving targets promote the carbon neutrality level of the city by strengthening the "top-down" promotion pressure and policy pressure, as well as the "bottom-up" transformation pressure and public opinion pressure. It is worth noting that the pressure of corporate transformation is the backbone of carbon neutrality, while public opinion monitoring with public participation has a limited effect on carbon neutrality. In addition, energy-saving targets have formed a complex and intertwined network of competition and transfer between different cities. Among cities in the same "situation", energy-saving targets will positively promote carbon neutrality in other cities, while among cities with development gaps, the carbon neutrality effect of energy-saving targets shows a significant siphoning effect. Interestingly, energy-saving policy targets in energy-endowed cities favour carbon neutrality enhancement in energy-poor cities. Therefore, it is important to focus on the role of public opinion supervision. The competition in the horizontal dimension needs to establish a benign mechanism, and the transfer in the vertical dimension should be flexibly managed based on the energy output rate.

摘要： 为了兑现2060“碳中和”，中国制定了更加严格的节能政策目标，科学评价该目标的政策效果具有重要意义。研究发现，节能政策目标降低了碳排放规模，增加了碳替代总量，有效提高了城市碳中和水平。同时，节能政策目标通过加强“自上而下”的晋升压力与政策压力和“自下而上”的转型压力与舆论压力，促进城市碳中和水平提升。值得注意的是，企业转型压力是提升碳中和的中坚力量，公众参与的舆论监督对碳中和提升的作用有限。此外，节能政策目标在不同城市间形成了复杂交错的竞争网络和转移网络。在相同“境遇”的城市间，节能政策目标将正向促进其他城市碳中和提升，在发展差距的城市间，节能政策目标的碳中和效果呈现出显著的虹吸效应。有趣的是，能源禀赋充裕的城市节能政策目标有利于能源贫瘠城市的碳中和提升。因此，要注重发挥公众舆论监督的作用，水平维度的竞争需要建立良性机制，垂直维度的转移应以能源产出率为依据，进行弹性管理。