Wangwang DingJuntao DuYigit KazancogluSachin Kumar Kumar ManglaMalin SongSong, MalinDing, WangwangKazancoglu, YigitMangla, Sachin KumarDu, Juntao2025-10-062023014098830140-98831873-618110.1016/j.eneco.2023.1068632-s2.0-85165227447https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85165227447&doi=10.1016%2Fj.eneco.2023.106863&partnerID=40&md5=390c74d2c19bd3f828d04bd30cf82622https://gcris.yasar.edu.tr/handle/123456789/8405https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2023.106863Climate change urgently requires a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. However this energy transition demands a dynamic balance between the energy system and the economy and climate in which adequate financing is a key factor. This study analyzed data from 285 cities in China from 2004 to 2020 empirically to assess the energy net-zero transformation potential (ENTP) and the relationship between financial development (FD) and ENTP. The findings demonstrate that FD can improve urban ENTP but this depends on the scale of the city level of economic development and resource endowment. Moreover a nonlinear relationship exists between FD and ENTP. After FD reaches a certain level it needs to shift to green finance which should not be unilaterally emphasized in underdeveloped financial markets. Finally FD has a spatial effect on ENTP and the FD of neighboring regions can improve regional ENTP which provides the possibility for regional cooperation. The results also provide insights into the financial instruments that can facilitate ENTP implementation. © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Englishinfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessCop26, Energy Transformation, Financial Development, Net-zero, Climate Change, Economics, Finance, Finite Difference Method, Fossil Fuels, Clean Energy, Dynamic Balance, Economic Resources, Energy Systems, Energy Transformation, Energy Transitions, Financial Development, Key Factors, Net-zero, Urban Energy, Metadata, Energy Management, Energy Use, Financial Market, Financial Services, Fossil Fuel, ChinaClimate change, Economics, Finance, Finite difference method, Fossil fuels, Clean energy, Dynamic balance, Economic resources, Energy systems, Energy transformation, Energy transitions, Financial development, Key factors, Net-zero, Urban energy, Metadata, energy management, energy use, financial market, financial services, fossil fuel, ChinaNet-zeroFinancial DevelopmentCOP26Energy TransformationArticle