How public environmental appeals affect the collaborative governance in pollution and carbon reduction: Evidence from spatial effects across Chinese cities

China has always adhered to the strategy of sustainable development. It is prevalent the public want a good living environment, which requires local governments and businesses to enhance their environmental governance capabilities. Using the panel data from Chinese cities from 2012 to 2019 and econometrics models, we examine the impact mechanisms of public environmental appeals (PEA) on efficiency of collaborative governance in pollution reduction and carbon mitigation (GPC). Results indicate that there is a positive spatial clustering of GPC across cities, with high-high clustering is notably concentrated in the southern regions of China and low-low clustering is prevalent in the northern regions. Spatial econometrics model results reveal that the stronger PEA, the higher GPC. The result of mechanism analysis shows the mediation of environmentally friendly technological innovation is crucial. Subsequent inquiry uncovers that the digital economy positively moderates the impact of PEA on GPC. The Belt and Road policy region exhibits heightened sensitivity to PEA, thereby enhancing the positive impact of PEA on GPC. •Explore spatial clustering effect of collaborative governance in pollution and carbon (GPC).•Examine the impact of public environmental appeals (PEA) on GPC efficiency.•Investigate the mechanism of technological innovation by which PEA affects GPC.•Discuss the moderating effects of digital economy that improve the effect of PEA.