Research on the configuration paths of Sustainable Marine Eco-Efficiency: Based on fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of 11 coastal areas in China

Abstract Studying the sustainable configuration path of marine ecological efficiency (MEE) is significant for China's efforts to build a marine power and achieve high-quality development of the marine economy. The existing studies have deficiencies in explaining the complex interaction among multiple land-based influence factors on MEE. Based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and combined with the characteristics of government behavior under the background of the Chinese system, this study puts forward an integrated analysis framework to understand the differences in MEE among different coastal areas. Taking 11 coastal areas in China as cases, the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method is used for configuration analysis, and the findings are as follows: (1) Conditions derived from technology, organization, and environment cannot, on their own, constitute the necessary conditions for high or low MEE, indicating that a single condition has limited explanatory power on MEE.(2) There are three configuration paths for high MEE: a path of development based on innovation, a path of ecological industry based on unique geographical location, and a path of development based on political pressure. Among them, the path of development based on innovation plays a more important role in improving MEE and has more value in making effective policy. (3) There are two ways to have a low MEE: one with a lot of innovation elements and another with a lot of environmental regulation and political pressure on the technology. These two paths imply that the lack of green technology capability is an important conditional variable for low MEE. The findings of this study will help people understand MEE's long-term development path in a more rational way and give them useful practical advice.