The　low-carbon　city　pilot　policy　(LCCPP)　is　a　key　initiative　designed　to　promote　low-carbon　development　and　sustainable　economic　growth.　To　maximize　its　environmental　and　economic　benefits,　it　is　essential　to　conduct　a　comprehensive　evaluation　of　the　policy＇s　influence　on　the　transformation　of　the　low-carbon　economy　(TLCE).　This　paper　spans　the　period　from　2003　to　2021,　analyzing　a　sample　of　281　Chinese　cities　at　the　prefecture　level　or　higher.　First,　the　research　employs　the　super-efficient　EBM-GML　model,　incorporating　non-desired　outputs,　to　measure　the　TLCE.　Second,　the　progressive　difference-in-differences　model　integrates　the　TLCE　into　the　assessment　framework　of　the　LCCPP,　allowing　for　an　empirical　analysis　of　its　effects　on　the　transformation.　Third,　a　heterogeneity　analysis　is　conducted　from　various　perspectives,　including　the　“Hu　Huanyong　line,　”　coastal　and　inland　cities,　and　environmental　protection　priority　cities.　Finally,　the　paper　investigates　the　linear　mechanisms　of　the　LCCPP　on　the　TLCE　across　three　dimensions:　environment,　economy,　and　technology.　The　environmental　dimension　reflects　urban　ecological　resilience,　the　economic　dimension　pertains　to　the　development　level　of　the　digital　economy,　and　the　technological　dimension　relates　to　scientific　and　technological　innovation　activity.　Additionally,　the　paper　examines　the　nonlinear　mechanisms　through　which　the　LCCPP　affects　the　TLCE,　focusing　on　environmental　regulation　and　factor　endowment.　The　results　indicate　that:　1)　The　LCCPP　significantly　facilitates　the　TLCE　in　the　experimental　areas,　with　findings　remaining　robust　across　various　tests,　including　parallel　trend　test,　SDID,　a　test　of　heterogeneity　in　treatment　effects,　and　PSM-DID.　2)　Heterogeneity　analysis　shows　the　policy＇s　impact　is　stronger　in　cities　south　of　the　“Hu　Huanyong　line,　”　as　well　as　in　coastal　cities　and　environmental　protection　priority　cities.　3)　Linear　mechanism　analysis　indicates　that　urban　ecological　resilience,　the　development　level　of　the　digital　economy,　and　scientific　and　technological　innovation　activity　serve　as　partial　intermediaries　in　the　TLCE　influenced　by　the　LCCPP.　4)　Nonlinear　mechanism　analysis　indicates　that　environmental　regulation　and　factor　endowment　influence　TLCE　in　nonlinear　ways,　with　effects　varying　across　different　threshold　stages.　Specifically,　when　environmental　regulation　and　factor　endowment　are　at　varying　developmental　stages,　the　LCCPP　effect　tends　to　follow　a　“first　suppressed,　then　elevated”　trend.　Based　on　these　findings,　the　paper　recommends　expanding　the　scope　of　the　LCCPP　and　sharing　experiences　in　low-carbon　development　to　support　achieving　the　“dual-carbon”　goal　within　China＇s　innovation　strategy.　©　2024　Elsevier　Ltd