Multicity comparative assessment and optimized management path of sustainability of the economy–energy–environment system: A case study of core cities in China's three major economic circles

Abstract

The coordinated and stable development of economy‐energy‐environment (3E) systems stands as a long‐term strategy for the sustainable development of mankind. Following the research idea of “indicator system construction ‐3E system evaluation ‐ obstacles identification ‐ optimization management”, this paper innovatively constructs a multi‐angle and comparable methodology system for evaluation and optimized management of 3E system, and takes the core cities of three economic circles in China as cases for empirical research. The results show that the coordination degree levels were all good or high‐quality coordination, which was at the leading level in the country. The sustainability degree of the three cities showed an upward trend, of which Beijing had the highest sustainability degree, followed by Guangzhou and Shanghai. Obstacle degree analysis shows that technology investment and energy factors were common obstacle factors to the sustainable development of the three cities’ 3E systems, and each city also contained its own unique obstacle factors. On this basis, the paper formulates region‐specific policy recommendations in order to provide a useful reference for the top‐level design of the government.