Impacts and influencing pathways of urbanization on carbon–water-energy-food nexus across Chinese cities

Food, water, energy and carbon (F-W-E-C), as important factors of urban development, have synergistic effects and trade-off effects with each other. Scientifically assessing the impact of urbanization on the F-W-E-C nexus is beneficial to optimize the urban development layout and achieve the sustainable urban development. Nevertheless, extant studies have not evaluated the impact and influencing pathways of urbanization on the F-W-E-C nexus. In this study, the Coupling Coordination Degree Model is used to explore the F-W-E-C nexus of 252 prefecture-level cities in China. The panel data model and mediating effect model are utilized to study the impact of urbanization on the F-W-E-C nexus and the impact pathways. This study finds that the F-W-E-C nexus across Chinese cities is weak trade-off. The urbanization promotes the synergy of F-W-E-C. The positive impact is greater in the central cities than in the eastern and western cities, and is greater in medium-sized cities than in small cities, large cities and above. The technological progress is an important pathway of urbanization impacting the F-W-E-C nexus, and assists urbanization to generate a positive influence on the F-W-E-C nexus. This research has implications for promoting a systematic, orderly, and rational coordination development of F-W-E-C and for sustainable urbanization development in China and the world.