Study on Green Development Efficiency of Yangtze Economic Zone in China considering Resources and Environment

Abstract This paper evaluates the green development efficiency of 11 provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone considering resources and environment. Input factors include assets, human resources and resources. Output takes into account GDP and major pollutants (as unexpected output). This paper makes a static analysis of the economic development efficiency of the provinces and municipalities in 2015. Considering the resource and environment constraints, the overall economic development efficiency is constrained to a certain extent. The Malmquist index model is used to calculate the changes of economic efficiency in 2005-2015, which is decomposed into pure technical efficiency, scale efficiency and technological progress index. Considering the impact of resources and environment, the overall economic efficiency of 11 provinces in the Yangtze River Economic Zone showed an upward trend in 11 years, with an average MI index of 1.014. Technological efficiency (EC) is declining as a whole. Pure technical efficiency (PEC) is the main factor that causes the decline of technical efficiency, while technological progress (TC) is an important factor to promote the increase of development efficiency during the research period. The results of regional analysis show that the decline of technological efficiency (EC) in Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei and Anhui provinces is mainly affected by pure technological efficiency (PEC). The decline of technological efficiency (EC) in Guizhou, Jiangxi and Jiangsu provinces is mainly affected by scale efficiency (SEC).