Objective/Meaning Under the background of the dual goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality and ecological civilization construction, the coastal zone is facing the challenge of coexistence of ecological pressure and economic opportunities. Improving the resilience of the coastal zone has become a key issue to achieve the regional sustainable development.

Methods/Procedures  Based on the panel data of 11 coastal provinces in China from 2009 to 2022, the pilot policy of carbon emission trading was regarded as a quasi-natural experiment, and a multi-time difference-in-difference model was constructed to empirically analyze the impact of carbon emission trading on the resilience of coastal zone. Meanwhile, the evaluation index system of new quality productivity including three dimensions of scientific and technological innovation, green transformation and digital empowerment was constructed, and the entropy method was used to comprehensively measure and verify its intermediary role in the process of influence.

Results/Conclusions The results showed that: (1) the carbon emissions trading scheme has significantly improved the resilience of coastal zones in coastal areas; (2)The new quality productive forces, as an endogenous power featuring advancement and green characteristics, played a significant mediating role in the process of carbon emission trading affecting the coastal zone resilience; (3) The policy effects were more pronounced in the northern coastal regions and in the areas with lower levels of marine economic development, reflecting a “catch-up effect” of the policy. Based on these findings, some policy suggestions were put forward, such as improving the institutional design of the carbon emissions trading scheme, strengthening the support for the cultivation of new quality productive forces and technological innovation, and promoting differentiated green governance strategies for coastal zones according to the local conditions.