Low-carbon urban transformation is considered the path to green economic growth in dual-carbon contexts. The low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCP) in China has vast potential to enhance the integrated development of the economy, energy, and environment (3Es). Taking 240 cities in China from 2005 to 2019 as research samples, this paper investigated the impact of LCCP on the integrated development level of the 3Es using the progressive difference-in-differences model and analyzed the mechanisms of influence. In addition, the implementation effects on different cities were analyzed using the triple difference model. The findings show that implementing the LCCP policy significantly improves the 3Es integrated development level in the sample cities, and a variety of robustness tests were used to validate this conclusion. The influence mechanism analysis shows that the primary avenues for pilot programs to contribute and successfully advance the enhancement of the low-carbon city 3Es integrated development level are technological innovation and financial development. Moreover, the heterogeneity analysis of resource endowment and geographical location shows that LCCP is beneficial to the 3Es integrated development in non-resource-based cities and eastern cities. Consequently, policy recommendations include the continuation of low-carbon pilot city expansion, joint promotion of regional 3Es integration, improving the level of technological innovation and financial development, and tailoring of policy to local circumstances. This study provides theoretical support for the evaluation of China’s LCCP and, to a certain extent, proves that the measures taken by China in the process of exploring green economic growth and realizing the dual-carbon goal are correct.

Rapid economic development has led to massive fossil energy consumption and emissions of air pollutants such as PM_2.5, which have severely impacted human health and the environment. By uncovering the primary regions and pivotal sectors of PM_2.5-related human health impacts (PM_2.5-HHI) and evaluating the influence of economic structural factors on them, we can facilitate a more targeted strategy for managing PM_2.5 pollution sources. This study employs a structural decomposition analysis method based on input–output analysis to evaluate the impact of China’s provincial economic structural transformation and changes in final demand on PM_2.5-HHI in the years 2012, 2015, and 2017. Results indicated that PM_2.5-HHI is primarily concentrated in economically developed provinces (e.g., Shandong and Guangdong), which is compared to Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, and Hebei experienced negative growth in PM_2.5-HHI during 2007–2017. The production-based PM_2.5-HHI is primarily driven by energy-intensive sectors such as the production and distribution of electric power and heat power. By contrast, the building sector is key to driving consumption-based PM_2.5-HHI. An increasing number of regions are reducing PM_2.5-HHI by implementing production structure changes. Moreover, the driving effect of production structure changes on PM_2.5-HHI growth is strengthening in Beijing and Tianjin. Changes in the final demand structure mainly led to the growth of PM_2.5-HHI in areas with higher economic development levels, such as Beijing and Shandong, but this driving effect is weakening. The final demand–driven PM_2.5-HHI shows an evolutionary trend of an increasing share driven by fixed capital formation and exports and a decreasing share driven by household consumption. Changes in emission intensity play a key role in decreasing PM_2.5-HHI in each region. Alternatively, changes in the structure of emission sources have a relatively minor impact on PM_2.5-HHI. To mitigate PM_2.5-HHI, regional economic and resource endowment advantages should be used to promote regional coordinated development and strengthen green production-process innovation in energy-intensive industries. Meanwhcile, it is necessary to optimize urban construction planning and improve the energy efficiency of buildings.