Resource-based cities are the most important players in responding to climate change and achieving low carbon development in China. An analysis of relevant data (such as the energy consumption) showed an inter-city differentiation of CO₂ emissions from energy consumption, and suggested an influence of the Industrial Enterprises above Designated Size (IEDS) in resource-based industrial cities at the prefecture level and above in different regions. Then by geographical detector technology, the sizes of each influencing mechanism on CO₂ emissions from energy consumption of the IEDS were probed. This analysis showed that significant spatial differences exist for CO₂ emissions from energy consumption and revealed several factors which influence the IEDS in resource-based cities. (1) In terms of unit employment, Eastern and Western resource-based cities are above the overall level of all resource-based cities; and only Coal resource-based cities far exceeded the overall level among all of the cities in the analysis. (2) In terms of unit gross industrial output value, the Eastern, Central and Western resources-based cities are all above the overall level for all the cities. Here also, only Coal resource-based cities far exceeded the overall level of all resources-based cities. Economic scale and energy structure are the main factors influencing CO₂ emissions from energy consumption of the IEDS in resource-based cities. The factors influencing CO₂ emissions in different regions and types of resource-based cities show significant spatial variations, and the degree of influence that any given factor exerts varies among different regions and types of resource-based cities. Therefore, individualized recommendations should be directed to different regions and types of resource-based cities, so that the strategies and measures of industrial low carbon and transformation should vary greatly according to the specific conditions that exist in each city.