A cooperative game-based framework for coordinated electricity–carbon trading among heterogeneous prosumers: Equitable sharing and decarbonization gains

Distributed renewable energy markets frequently encounter challenges such as resource underutilization, inequitable benefit sharing, and limited electricity-carbon integration, thereby hindering progress toward broader sustainability objectives. To address the issues, this paper develops a cooperative game framework for coordinated electricity-carbon trading, explicitly accounting for the heterogeneous decision-making behaviors of renewable energy prosumers. A core element of this framework is a mapping function that correlates electricity consumption with carbon emissions, forming the basis for a unified-agreement-based market coordination approach. Through theoretical analysis, we elucidate how prosumer decisions influence equilibrium pricing, social welfare, and carbon emissions in the integrated electricity-carbon system. To ensure equitable allocation of market benefits, a novel mechanism is introduced that incorporates prosumer-specific supply-demand attributes into the overall coordination scheme. Numerical simulations reveal that the proposed framework significantly enhances renewable energy utilization, reduces carbon procurement costs, and increases total social welfare. These findings offer a robust methodological foundation for policymakers and practitioners aiming to design equitable, low-carbon energy systems and further accelerate the decarbonization process.