China's investment in energy industry to neutralize carbon emissions: evidence from provincial data.

Investment in the new energy industry (IEI) and industrial pollution prevention (IPP) is an emerging strategy for carbon neutrality. However, little attention has been paid to exploring its direct linkage with environmental degradation. Therefore, the present study is an effort to contribute to a thin body of literature by recruiting IPP and IEI in China's provincial-level carbon emissions (CO).