The spatial network and its driving factors for sustainable total-factor ecology efficiency: the case of China.

The interaction of regional ecological efficiency is important for promoting ecological efficiency. Using a gravity model and social network analysis, this study investigated the spatial network characteristics of the sustainable total-factor ecology efficiency (STFEcE) in 30 provinces of China from 2005 to 2016 for the first time. The quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) was also used to analyze the factors affecting the network. The results are as follows. (1) The STFEcE between regions exhibited a spatial network relationship. (2) Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shandong, Ningxia, and other provinces were in the center of the network, whereas Guangxi, Anhui, and other provinces were on the edge. (3) The 30 provinces were divided into four plates, and the connections in the network were primarily based on the relationship between plates. (4) The difference between urban population, energy structure, and technical advancement negatively impacted the network relationship. The provinces should fully understand the value of the STFEcE network and implement appropriate measures to achieve collaborative improvement of regional ecological efficiency according to their roles in the network.

Sustainable total-factor ecology efficiency of regions in China.

This paper presents a new index called sustainable total-factor ecology efficiency (STFEcE), which integrates the ecological footprint and human development index into the framework of total-factor energy efficiency. Compared with the total-factor ecology efficiency index, the new index can better reflect the sustainable development efficiency of a region. This study uses data from 30 provinces of China over the period 2005-2016 to measure the STFEcE. Considering the heterogeneity of regional development in China, the meta-frontier slack-based data envelopment analysis (DEA) model is implemented. The results are as follows. First, the STFEcE for China is low, indicating the great potential for improvement in the sustainable development efficiency of China. Second, the heterogeneity of the STFEcE across the three regions of China (eastern, central, and western) is evident, given the "concave" trend from the eastern region to the western region. Third, decomposing the STFEcE into the technology inefficiency and management inefficiency indexes shows that the management efficiency of the eastern region needs to be improved, whereas the technology efficiency of the central region needs enhancement. For the western region, both the technology efficiency and management efficiency need improvement.

Ecological development efficiency index of tropics and subtropics in China.

This paper proposes an ecological development efficiency index (EDEI) based on comprehensive metrics to measure the ecological efficiency and human development of the tropics and subtropics in China for the 2005-2016 period. In particular, the proposed index integrates the ecological footprint into the input metrics considering resource exploitation, carbon emission, and energy infrastructures. The traditional output factor, i.e., GDP, is substituted with the human development index to evaluate the local development quality on the basis of health, education, and income. It is observed that the EDEI of the tropics and subtropics in China grew slowly before stabilizing at approximately 0.92. Moreover, as shown in the Theil index analysis, the spatial heterogeneity of the EDEI in tropics and subtropics of China is increasing significantly. The EDEI of the eastern region of China is higher than that of the central region, and the EDEI of the western region is the lowest. Finally, based on the Tobit factor model, research density and urbanization are observed to be the keys to improving the EDEI for achieving sustainable growth.