Research on Industrial Ecological Efficiency Evaluation and Improvement Countermeasures Based on Data-Driven Evaluations from 30 Provinces and Cities in China

Abstract

Improving industrial ecological efficiency is important in promoting the industry’s sustainable development. However, the economy, resources, the environment, and other factors should be considered. This paper proposes a data-driven evaluation and promotion method for improving industrial ecological efficiency. Based on industrial input and output data, the super-efficiency slack-based model containing an unexpected output was used to measure industrial ecological efficiency. The kernel density estimation method was employed to analyze the time-series characteristics of industrial ecological efficiency. Using data from 30 provinces and cities in China, this study demonstrated the implementation of a data-driven method. The results show that China’s overall industrial ecological efficiency is increasing, and industrial ecological efficiency in the western region is rapidly improving. Differences exist between provinces and cities; the characteristics of polarization are significant, and there are short boards in the eastern, central, and western regions. Based on this, suggestions are made to improve the industrial ecological efficiency of the central region, narrow the gaps between the regions, and promote each region to develop its strengths and mitigate its weaknesses. This provides a basis for formulating policies related to ecological environment protection and industrial pollution control.

Unveiling the Patterns and Drivers of Ecological Efficiency in Chinese Cities: A Comprehensive Study Using Super-Efficiency Slacks-Based Measure and Geographically Weighted Regression Approaches

“…In foreign countries, scholars focus more on the research object of ecological efficiency on enterprise operation [6,7] and industry development [8,9]. In contrast, scholars in China have focused more on the three major industries [10][11][12][13][14][15] as well as regional research on ecological efficiency, especially regional research on ecological efficiency. This is determined by the actual situation and real needs of China's social and economic development over the years.…”

Industrial ecological evaluation based on DPSIR and panel grey clustering model

“…Among them, ecological efficiency is an important evaluation basis to reflect the comprehensive impact of economic output on resources and environment and to measure the degree of ecological civilization. The development of regional industrial ecology can be reflected by calculating the industrial ecological efficiency value through data envelopment analysis and other methods (Liu et al, 2022;Yang, 2020;Zhou et al, 2022). The comprehensive evaluation method is suitable for the overall and holistic evaluation of the object system described by the multi-attribute architecture.…”

Investigating the Effects of Environmental Regulation on Industrial Ecological Efficiency in China Using a Panel Smooth Transition Regression Model

“…Consequently, the idea of industrial ecological efficiency (IEE) was introduced to measure the interactions between industrial economics, resource management, and environmental concerns. Since 2000, China has experienced a gradual but modest improvement in its IEE, yet the overall level remains subpar, compounded by notable regional disparities [2,3]. Consequently, there is heightened scholarly interest in strategies to bolster IEE and foster better synchronization between China's industrial growth, resource utilization, and environmental challenges.…”