Analysis of the interval difference and spatial effects of Chinese green economic progress

Abstract

A green economy refers to a modern form of harmony between the environment and the economy. China showing the fastest economic growth in the world has entered into a new phase of advance, facing a critical industrial transformation and progression. The paper aims to analyse China's green economic development considering the differences in development of regions. The study applied the ultra-efficient slacks-based measure model to scrutinize China's green economic development efficiency. Dagum Gini coefficient and Kernel density methods are used to estimate spatial characteristics, local adjustments, and dynamic evolution trends. The analysis is based on an annual dataset of 30 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2019. The findings did not confirm extensive China's green economic development. In contrast, the development efficacy reveals an influential drive over the years. Regional green development is detected as unstable and diverges due to interregional differences. The findings showed that environmental regulation, government investment, industrial structure, education development were 0.0648, 0.00154, 0.0035 and 0.118 (significant at 5% and 1%), respectively. Besides, they stimulate the green economic development in the analysed regions. However, urbanization and openness of economy had the negative value. It confirmed their restriction impact on the green economic development. In addition, the findings showed that ongoing Chines policy on management of environmental development is the priority direction and provoke the declining the environmental pollution. Besides, the modernization and optimization of the Chinese industry structure stimulate the further green economic progress.