Can low-carbon technology transfer accelerate energy efficiency convergence

The disparities in energy efficiency across different regions of China pose significant challenges to achieving a “just transition” toward sustainable energy. This study investigates the role of low-carbon technology transfer in accelerating energy efficiency convergence and promoting a more equitable energy future. Drawing on the undesirable super-efficiency SBM approach, we measure the total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) of 30 Chinese provinces between 2012 and 2022. Based on this, we further investigate the convergence characteristic of regional TFEE and probe whether low-carbon technology transfer has accelerated the regional energy efficiency convergence. The results show that (1) Regional TFEE exhibits a fluctuating upward trend during the sample period. East China has the highest average TFEE, followed by West and Central China. (2) There is evidence of σ convergence and absolute β convergence in East and West China, but not in Central China. (3) Low-carbon technology transfer accelerates TFEE convergence, with the convergence rate increasing from 1.618 % to 1.815 %, and the half-life of TFEE convergence decreasing from 42.852 years to 38.186 years. (4) Improvement of human capital, marketization levels and government intervention enhance the accelerating impact of low-carbon technology transfer on TFEE convergence. (5) The impact of low-carbon technology transfer on TFEE convergence varies across regions, with the West China showing the most significant improvement, followed by the East and Central China. Besides, low-carbon technology transfer has a notably stronger impact on TFEE convergence at the 50th and 60th quantiles than at other quantile levels.