While　the　role　of　government　advocacy　in　environment　protection　is　widely　recognized,　the　research　on　the　impact　of　local　government　heterogeneity　on　urban　green　innovation　has　not　been　fully　explored.　This　study　aims　to　identify　the　causality　between　heterogeneous　government　behavior　patterns　and　urban　green　technology　innovation　in　278　prefecture-level　Chinese　cities　from　2003　to　2020.　Our　results　reveal　that　(1)　local　governments＇　environmental　goal　setting　enhances　urban　green　technology　innovation;　however,　competition　effects　exist　between　cities,　resulting　in　negative　spatial　spillover　effects;　(2)　local　governments　exhibit　heterogeneous　environmental　strategy　characteristics,　with　independent　environmental　strategies　adopted　in　eastern　regions　and　differentiated　environmental　strategies　adopted　in　central　and　western　regions,　which　incentivize　urban　green　innovation;　(3)　the　mechanism　study　reveals　that　industrial　structure　optimization　and　credit　easing　are　critical　for　local　governments＇　environmental　goal　setting　in　promoting　urban　green　technology　innovation.