Abstract
Carbon emission and sustainable development have attracted global attention. Promoting urban green innovation (UGI) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) will help in lowering the intensity of carbon emissions and improve the safety and sustainability. A SBM-DEA model was constructed to measure carbon emission efficiency (CEE) and the degree of coupling and coordination with UGI was calculated in 73 prefecture-level cities in the YRB. The spatial association network of CEE coupled with UGI is constructed by using a modified gravity model, social network analysis and the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP), to analyze spatial potential energy, network characteristics and clustering characteristics. The study found that: (1) The coupling coordination degree of CEE and UGI in the YRB shows fluctuating growth, mutual promotion and continuous coordinated development. (2) The spatial linkage between CEE and UGI is gradually close, and the potential energy of the spatial linkage increases year by year, with obvious spatial spillover effect, indicating that the radiation and influence between cities are gradually increasing. In contrast to the middle stream, the upstream and downstream regions show a higher percentage of spatial potential energy in the entire network, and their network structure is more intricate and robust. (3) The clustering patterns of the three major urban clusters are examined using the block model, exploring the positioning and functions of various cities in these urban conglomerations, which includes the net spillover, net benefit, two-way spillover and broker plate, so as to strengthen the connection and coordinated development between cities. (4) Factors such as spatial adjacency, industrial structure, population density, digital economy and urbanization level, and energy intensity significantly impact the spatial association network, along with temporal and regional heterogeneity. Therefore, tailored policies are needed in the YRB to strengthen collaboration between CEE and UGI, fostering the development of a circular economy and promoting sustainable development.