Environmental public engagement and participation (E-PEP) are vital for advancing China’s carbon neutrality goals (CNG). This study evaluates the experiences and perspectives of professionals from government, NGOs, and businesses in Shenzhen regarding urban E-PEP and CNG. A notable finding is the "Yes-but" phenomenon: while Shenzhen provides a relatively strong foundation for E-PEP, limitations in official efforts hinder its overall effectiveness. Although CNG is broadly accepted in principle, professionals expressed lukewarm attitudes due to a lack of local leadership, understanding, connection, and capacity. These findings echo the existing literature on the need for systemic innovation in China’s urban climate governance. Four interconnected innovation strategies are identified: 1) administration and management, 2) collaboration, 3) societal dissemination, and 4) capacity building. Finally, the study offers practical recommendations, including innovating the institutional framework, establishing a public funding mechanism for collaborative E-PEP initiatives, and developing an interactive capacity-building system for information sharing, training, and talent cultivation.

环境公众参与（E-PEP）在推动中国实现碳中和目标（CNG）方面具有关键作用。本研究评估了深圳市政府、非政府组织和企业界专业人士在城市环境公众参与与碳中和（“双碳”）工作中的经验与观点。研究发现了一个值得注意的“是—但是”现象：尽管深圳为E-PEP提供了较为坚实的基础，官方推进过程中的局限性仍制约了其整体成效。虽然碳中和在原则上受到广泛认可，但由于缺乏地方层面的领导力、理解、沟通机制和能力支持，许多专业人士对此持保留态度。上述发现印证了现有文献中关于中国城市气候治理亟需体制创新的论述。本研究识别出四个相互关联的创新路径：1）行政管理，2）协同合作，3）社会传播，4）能力建设。最后，研究提出了具体建议，包括：推动制度框架创新，建立支持合作型E-PEP项目的公共资助机制，构建面向信息共享、培训与人才培养的互动式能力建设体系。