Impact of Land Use on Energy Equity in China: Effects and Mechanisms

In order to promote the coordinated development of land use and energy equity, this study empirically examines the impact of land use on energy equity and its underlying mechanisms, using panel data from prefecture-level cities in China. The main findings are as follows: (1) An increase in land use intensity significantly hinders the development of energy equity. After a series of robustness checks and endogeneity treatments, this conclusion is still reliable. (2) Population agglomeration, energy consumption intensity, green innovation, and government intervention are the main pathways through which land use affects energy equity. (3) Small and medium-sized cities, resource-based cities, eastern China, and areas north of the Hu Line are where this negative effect is primarily concentrated. These results offer important policy recommendations for the coordinated governance of land use and energy equity.