Abstract
To measure and analyze the evolution characteristics and influencing factors of China’s industrial green development level is of great significance in achieving carbon neutrality goal. Based on the panel data from 2000 to 2018 of 30 provinces in China, this research uses the super slack-based measuring model and the Malmquist-Luenberger index to calculates China’s industrial green total factor productivity and to describe its evolution characteristics using the kernel density function and moreover uses the Spatial Durbin model and the partial differential method to explores its main influencing factors. This study finds that China’s overall industrial green development level is not high but shows an upward trend year by year; carbon emissions, fiscal decentralization, and urbanization are not conducive to improving the national industrial green development level, whereas economic development, foreign direct investment, industrial structure, and technological progress are positive contributors. At the same time, the level of economic development and technological progress have significant direct and spatial spillover effect. Our findings also provide some policy implications for improving China’s industrial green development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets used or analyzed during the current study are available from the yearbooks or the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Code availability
Not applicable.
References
Alba JMD, Todorov V (2018) How green is manufacturing? Status and prospects of national green industrialisation. The case of Morocco. IntJ Innov Sustain Dev 12(3):308. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJISD.2018.10012681
Ayamba EC, Chen H, Musah A, Ruth A, Osei-Agyemang A (2019) An empirical model on the impact of foreign direct investment on China’s environmental pollution: analysis based on simultaneous equations. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(16):16239–16248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04991-9
Bin Xu, Lin B (2016) Reducing carbon dioxide emissions in China’s manufacturing industry: a dynamic vector autoregression approach. J Clean Prod. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.129
Bonilla S, Silva H, Marcia TDS, Gonçalves, RF, Sacomano J (2018) Industry 4.0 and sustainability implications: a scenario-based analysis of the impacts and challenges. Sustainability 10(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103740
Boyd GA, Tolley G, Pang J (2002) Plant level productivity, efficiency, and environmental performance of the container glass industry. Environ Resource Econ 23(1):29–43. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020236517937
Chen S, Golley J (2014) Green productivity growth in China’s industrial economy. Energy Econ 44:89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2014.04.002
Chen S, Jefferson GH, Zhang J (2011) Structural change, productivity growth and industrial transformation in China. China Econ Rev 22(1):133–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2010.10.003
Chen J, Gao M, Cheng S, Hou W, Shan Y (2020a) County-level co2 emissions and sequestration in China during 1997–2017. Sci Data 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-00736-3
Chen H, Zhang L, Zou W, Gao Q, Zhao H (2020b) Regional differences of air pollution in China: comparison of clustering analysis and systematic clustering methods of panel data based on gray relational analysis. Air Qual Atmos Health 13:13–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-020-00880-0
Chen H, Lin H, Zou W (2020c) Research on the regional differences and influencing factors of the innovation efficiency of China’s high-tech industries: based on a shared inputs two-stage network DEA. Sustainability 12(8):3284. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083284
Chen H, Yang Y, Yang M, Huang H (2022a) The impact of environmental regulation on China’s industrial green development and its heterogeneity. Front Ecol Evol 10:967550. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.967550
Chen H, Shi Y, Zhao X (2022b) Investment in renewable energy resources, sustainable financial inclusion and energy efficiency: a case of US economy. Resour Policy 77:102680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.102680
Cheng Z, Li L, Liu J, Zhang H (2018) Total-factor carbon emission efficiency of China’s provincial industrial sector and its dynamic evolution. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 94.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.06.015
Chien F, Ajaz T, Andlib Z, Chau KY, Sharif A (2021a) The role of technology innovation, renewable energy and globalization in reducing environmental degradation in Pakistan: a step towards sustainable environment. Renew Energy 177(2021):308–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.05.101
Chien F, Hsu C, Andlib Z, Shah MI, Genie MG (2021b) The role of solar energy and eco-innovation in reducing environmental degradation in China: evidence from QARDL approach. Integr Environ Assess Manag 18:555–571. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4500
Chung YH, Färe S, Grosskopf S (1997) Productivity and undesirable outputs: A directional distance function approach. J Environ Manage 51(3):229–240. https://doi.org/10.1006/jema.1997.0146
Cui H, Wang H, Zhao Q (2019) Which factors stimulate industrial green total factor productivity growth rate in China? An industrial aspect. Greenhouse Gases: Sci Technol 9(12). https://doi.org/10.1002/ghg.1874
Fan M, Shao S, Yang L (2015) Combining global Malmquist-Luenberger index and generalized method of moments to investigate industrial total factor co2 emission performance: a case of Shanghai (China). Energy Policy 79(apr):189–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.12.027
Garetti M, Taisch M (2012) Sustainable manufacturing: trends and research challenges. Prod Plan Control 23(2–3):83–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2011.591619
Heravi G, Fathi M, Faeghi S (2015) Evaluation of sustainability indicators of industrial buildings focused on petrochemical projects. J Clean Prod 109(DEC 16):92–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.133
Hu A, School of Public & Management et al (2011) Global climate change and China’s green development. Chinese J Popul Resour Environ 9(4):7
Huang SF (2017) A study of impacts of fiscal decentralization on smog pollution. J World Econ (2):26
IPCC (2019) Special report: global warming of 15℃: impact of 1.5℃ global warming on natural and human systems. In: Global warming of 1.5℃. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
International Energy Agency (2015) CO2 emissions from fuel combustion highlights. http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/421473/co2-emissions-from-fuel-combustion-highlights-2015/?page=
Jiang Y, Zhang L, Tarbert H (2022) Does top management team media exposure affect corporate social responsibility? Front Psychol 13.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.827346
Li X, Ozturk I, Ullah S, Andlib Z, Hafeez M (2022) Can top-pollutant economies shift some burden through insurance sector development for sustainable development? Econ Anal Policy 74.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2022.02.006
Liu P, Zhang L, Tarbert H, Yan Z (2021) Analysis on spatio-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of industrial green innovation efficiency—from the perspective of innovation value chain. Sustainability 14(1):342. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010342
Ma X, Zhao X, Zhang L, Zhou Y, Chen H (2020) Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of atmospheric environmental efficiency in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:12428–12440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11128-w
Ma D, Xiong H, Zhang F, Gao L, Zhao, N, Yang G, Yang Q (2022) China’s industrial green total-factor energy efficiency and its influencing factors: a spatial econometric analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29(13):18559–18577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17040-1
Ning ZA, Peng ZB, Cck A (2015) Total-factor carbon emission performance of the Chinese transportation industry: a bootstrapped non-radial Malmquist index analysis—ScienceDirect. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 41:584–593
Ortiz O, Castells F, Sonnemann G (2009) Sustainability in the construction industry: a review of recent developments based on LCA—ScienceDirect. Constr Build Mater 23(1):28–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2007.11.012
Pan W, Pan P, Hu C, Tu H, Zhao C, Yu D, Xiong J, Zheng G (2019) Assessing the green economy in China: An improved framework. J Clean Prod 209:680–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.267
Pan L, Zhang T, Li W, Li Z, Zhou C (2021) Sector-level evaluation of China’s CO2 emissions: trend evolution and index ranking. J Clean Prod 286:125453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125453
Ping LI, Wang Q, Jun HE, Bin WU (2010) The construction of the index system of sustainable development of China’s manufacturing sector and forecast. China Ind Econ. https://doi.org/10.19581/j.cnki.ciejournal.2010.05.002
Pusnik M, Al-Mansour F, Sucic B, Cesen M (2017) Trends and prospects of energy efficiency development in Slovenian industry. Energy 136(oct 1):52–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.09.027
Qiu S, Wang Z, Geng S (2021) How do environmental regulation and foreign investment behavior affect green productivity growth in the industrial sector? An empirical test based on Chinese provincial panel data. J Environ Manage 287:112282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112282
Research Group of Institute of Industrial Economics CASS (2011) A study on the green transformation of Chinese industry. China Ind Econ. https://doi.org/10.19581/j.cnki.ciejournal.2011.04.001
Shi Y, Xie Y, Chen H, Zou W (2022) Spatial and temporal differences in the health expenditure efficiency of China: reflections based on the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Public Health 871(10):879698. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.879698
Sohail MT, Majeed MT, Shaikh PA, Andlib Z (2022) Environmental costs of political instability in Pakistan: policy options for clean energy consumption and environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29:25184–25193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17646-5
Supino S, Malandrino O, Testa M, Sica D (2016) Sustainability in the EU cement industry: the Italian and German experiences. J Clean Prod 112(JAN.20PT.1):430–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.022
Su LY, Zheng HX, Wang Y (2013) Evaluation on green development of China’s provincial industry. China Popul Resour Environ (08):116–122
Sun Y, Yseilada F, Andlib Z, Ajaz T (2021a) The role of eco-innovation and globalization towards carbon neutrality in the USA. 299(2021a) 113568.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021a.113568
Sun Y, Li H, Andlib Z, Genie MG (2021b) How do renewable energy and urbanization cause carbon emissions? Evidence from advanced panel estimation techniques. Renew Energy 185(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021b.12.112
Teng X, Lu LC, Chiu YH (2019) Energy and emission reduction efficiency of China’s industry sector: a non-radial directional distance function analysis. Carbon Manag 10(4):333–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2019.1605481
Tone K (2001) A slacks-based measure of efficiency in data envelopment analysis. Eur J Oper Res 130(3):498–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(99)00407-5
Tone K (2002) A slacks-based measure of super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis. Eur J Oper Res 143(1):32–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(01)00324-1
Tu ZG, Wang K, Gan TQ (2021) New green drivers of industrial productivity growth in China. Southeast Acad Res (5):12. https://doi.org/10.13658/j.cnki.sar.2021.05.016
Norberg-Bohm V (1999) Stimulating ‘green’ technological innovation: an analysis of alternative policy mechanisms. Policy Sci.https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004384913598
Watanabe M, Tanaka K (2007) Efficiency analysis of Chinese industry: a directional distance function approach. Energy Policy 35(12):6323–6331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2007.07.013
Worrell E (2000) Industrial transformation science plan, IHDP report no. 12, edited by Pier Vellinga and Nadia Herb, International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change, Bonn, Germany, December 1999, 94 pp. Softcover. Resour Conserv Recycl.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-3449(00)00080-X
Wu J, Wang R, Pu G, Qi H (2016) Integrated assessment of exergy, energy and carbon dioxide emissions in an iron and steel industrial network. Appl Energy 183.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.08.192
Xin LA, Xla B, Fz A (2020) Research on green innovation effect of industrial agglomeration from perspective of environmental regulation: evidence in China—ScienceDirect. J Clean Prod. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125583
Xue LL (2021) China announced the goal of carbon emission peak and carbon neutralization to promote energy revolution and enterprise transformation. Int Pet Econ (01):48–50
Yang Z, Shao S, Yang L, Liu J (2016) Differentiated effects of diversified technological sources on energy-saving technological progress: empirical evidence from China’s industrial sectors. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 72(MAY):1379–1388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.072
Yang Y, Wu D, Xu M, Yang M, Zou W (2022) Capital misallocation, technological innovation, and green development efficiency: empirical analysis based on China provincial panel data. Environ Sci Pollut Res 1-14.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20364-1
Yan Z, Xing X, Fang K, Liang D, Xu C (2013) Environmental efficiency analysis of power industry in China based on an entropy SBM model. Energy Policy 57(jun):68–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.09.060
You J, Ding G, Zhang L (2022) Heterogeneous dynamic correlation research among industrial structure distortion two-way FDI and carbon emission intensity in China. Sustainability 14(15):8988. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14158988
Yu X, Dong Z, Zhou D, Sang X, Huang X (2020) Integration of tradable green certificates trading and carbon emissions trading: how will Chinese power industry do? J Clean Prod 279(2021):123485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123485
Zhang C, Liu H, Bressers H, Buchanan KS (2011) Productivity growth and environmental regulations—accounting for undesirable outputs: analysis of China’s thirty provincial regions using the Malmquist-Luenberger index. Ecol Econ 70(12):2369–2379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.07.019
Zhang L, Xu M, Chen H, Li Y, Chen S (2022a) Globalization, green economy and environmental challenges: state of the art review for practical implications. Front Environ Sci 10:870271. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.870271
Zhang L, Ma X, Ock Y-S, Qing L (2022b) Research on regional differences and influencing factors of Chinese Industrial Green Technology Innovation efficiency based on Dagum Gini Coefficient Decomposition. Land 11(1):122. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010122
Zhao X, Ma X, Chen B, Shang Y, Song M (2022a) Challenges toward carbon neutrality in China: strategies and countermeasures. Resour Conserv Recycl 176:105959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105959
Zhao X, Ma X, Shang Y, Yang Z, Shahzad U (2022b) Green economic growth and its inherent driving factors in Chinese cities: based on the metafrontier-global-SBM super-efficiency DEA model. Gondwana Res 106:315–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2022.01.013
Zhao X, Mahendru M, Ma X, Rao A, Shang Y (2022c) Impacts of environmental regulations on green economic growth in China: new guidelines regarding renewable energy and energy efficiency. Renew Energy 187:728–742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.076
Zhao X, Ramzan M, Sengupta T, Deep Sharma G, Shahzad U, Cui L (2022d) Impacts of bilateral trade on energy affordability and accessibility across Europe: does economic globalization reduce energy poverty? Energy Build 262:112023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112023
Zhong S, Wang L, Yao F (2022) Industrial green total factor productivity based on an MML index in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29(20):30673–30696. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17625-w
Zhou X, Tang X, Zhang R (2020) Impact of green finance on economic development and environmental quality: a study based on provincial panel data from China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27(16). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08383-2
Zhu B, Zhang M, Zhou Y, Wang P, Xie R (2019) Exploring the effect of industrial structure adjustment on interprovincial green development efficiency in China: a novel integrated approach. Energy Policy 134:110946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.110946
Zhu Q, Li X, Li F, Wu J, Sun J (2021) Analyzing the sustainability of China’s industrial sectors: a data-driven approach with total energy consumption constraint. Ecol Ind 122(4):107235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107235
Zhu R, Zhao R, Sun J, Xiao L, Jiao S, Chuai X et al (2020) Temporospatial pattern of carbon emission efficiency of China’s energy-intensive industries and its policy implications. J Clean Prod. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125507
Zou W, Shi Y, Xu Z, Ouyang F, Zhang L, Chen H (2022) The green innovative power of carbon neutrality in China: a perspective of innovation efficiency in China’s high-tech industry based on meta-frontier DEA. Front Environ Sci 10:857516. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.857516
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the editor and the anonymous reviewers of this paper.
Funding
This research was funded by the National Social Science Fund General Project of China (No.19BGL092), the Innovation Strategy Research Project of Fujian Province (No. 2021R0156, No. 2022R0030), and the GF Securities Social Welfare Foundation Teaching, and the Research Fund for National Finance and Mesoeconomics.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Conceptualization, HC and WZ; methodology, YS; software, YS; validation, HC, WZ, and YS; formal analysis, MX; investigation, HC; resources, ZX; data curation, YS; writing—original draft preparation, HC and YS; writing—review and editing, HC and YS; visualization, ZX and MX; supervision, WZ; project administration, HC; funding acquisition, WZ; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval
Not applicable.
Consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
I have not submitted my manuscript to a preprint server before submitting it to Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Arshian Sharif
Publisher's note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This paper was jointly completed by Huangxin Chen and Yi Shi under the guidance of Prof. Wenjie Zou, Huangxin Chen and Yi Shi contributed equally to this work and should be considered as co-first authors.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, H., Shi, Y., Xu, M. et al. China’s industrial green development and its influencing factors under the background of carbon neutrality. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 81929–81949 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23636-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23636-y