IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i6p2722-d1615652.html

Sustaining Urban Green Growth: Evaluating Ecological Efficiency and Resource-Use Drivers in Beijing’s Plains Afforestation Initiative

Author

Listed:
  • Yuanhao Wu

    (School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Audit Department, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China)

  • Jun Jiang

    (College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Beibei Chen

    (College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

Efficiency assessment is a pivotal instrument in the pursuit of sustainable operations. It is imperative to evaluate government-funded afforestation initiatives to ensure the optimal utilisation of resources, thereby enhancing sustainability. In this study, a framework for measuring afforestation efficiency at the sub-compartment scale was established based on a Bootstrap-modified Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model. The empirical study included 48 afforestation sub-compartments from six districts involved in the Beijing Plains Afforestation Project. The results of the study indicate that the efficiency of the afforestation sub-compartment has much room for improvement and significant individual differences. The mean scores for comprehensive efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency of the sample sub-compartments were 0.646, 0.664, and 0.973, respectively. Compared to the pure technical efficiency, the scale efficiency is higher. Notably, prioritising native or climate-resilient species, adopting long-term ecological maintenance protocols, and fostering financially self-sustaining mechanisms were identified as key drivers for boosting efficiency. These findings underscore the need to embed sustainability principles—including resource optimisation and economic viability—into afforestation planning and governance to strengthen ecological restoration resilience and long-term project continuity.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanhao Wu & Jun Jiang & Beibei Chen, 2025. "Sustaining Urban Green Growth: Evaluating Ecological Efficiency and Resource-Use Drivers in Beijing’s Plains Afforestation Initiative," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2722-:d:1615652
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2722/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2722/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alex Blanchette & Corey Lang & Jarron VanCeylon, 2021. "Variation in Valuation: Open Space and Geography," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 97(4), pages 768-780.
    2. R. D. Banker & A. Charnes & W. W. Cooper, 1984. "Some Models for Estimating Technical and Scale Inefficiencies in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(9), pages 1078-1092, September.
    3. Léopold Simar & Paul W. Wilson, 1998. "Sensitivity Analysis of Efficiency Scores: How to Bootstrap in Nonparametric Frontier Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 49-61, January.
    4. Jones, Benjamin A. & McDermott, Shana M., 2018. "The economics of urban afforestation: Insights from an integrated bioeconomic-health model," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 116-135.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Franz R. Hahn, 2007. "Determinants of Bank Efficiency in Europe. Assessing Bank Performance Across Markets," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 31499.
    2. H Fukuyama & W L Weber, 2009. "Estimating indirect allocative inefficiency and productivity change," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(11), pages 1594-1608, November.
    3. María Victoria Uribe‐Bohorquez & Jennifer Martínez‐Ferrero & Isabel‐María García‐Sánchez, 2019. "Women on boards and efficiency in a business‐orientated environment," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 82-96, January.
    4. Alessandra Cepparulo & Gilles Mourre, 2020. "How and How Much? The Growth-Friendliness of Public Spending through the Lens," European Economy - Discussion Papers 132, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    5. Nguyen, Bao Hoang & Simar, Léopold & Zelenyuk, Valentin, 2022. "Data sharpening for improving central limit theorem approximations for data envelopment analysis–type efficiency estimators," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 303(3), pages 1469-1480.
    6. Santos, Joana & Simões, Pedro & Costa, Álvaro & Cunha Marques, Rui, 2010. "Efficiency of the Portuguese metros. is it different from other European metros?," MPRA Paper 34904, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Kristof De Witte & Rui Marques, 2010. "Designing performance incentives, an international benchmark study in the water sector," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 18(2), pages 189-220, June.
    8. Telles de Proença, Odair & Coelho Soares, Thiago & Mazon, Gisele & Soares, Sandro, 2026. "Performance analysis of supermarkets: a combined approach using DEA and linear regression," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA).
    9. Nadia M. Guerrero & Juan Aparicio & Daniel Valero-Carreras, 2022. "Combining Data Envelopment Analysis and Machine Learning," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-22, March.
    10. Wijesiri, Mahinda & Yaron, Jacob & Meoli, Michele, 2017. "Assessing the financial and outreach efficiency of microfinance institutions: Do age and size matter?," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 63-76.
    11. Thanh Ngo & Kan Wai Hong Tsui, 2022. "Estimating the confidence intervals for DEA efficiency scores of Asia-Pacific airlines," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3411-3434, September.
    12. Zervopoulos, Panagiotis & Emrouznejad, Ali & Sklavos, Sokratis, 2019. "A Bayesian approach for correcting bias of data envelopment analysis estimators," MPRA Paper 91886, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Andreas Dellnitz & Elmar Reucher & Andreas Kleine, 2021. "Efficiency evaluation in data envelopment analysis using strong defining hyperplanes," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 43(2), pages 441-465, June.
    14. Karin Larsén, 2010. "Effects of machinery‐sharing arrangements on farm efficiency: evidence from Sweden," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(5), pages 497-506, September.
    15. Kaffash, Sepideh & Azizi, Roza & Huang, Ying & Zhu, Joe, 2020. "A survey of data envelopment analysis applications in the insurance industry 1993–2018," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 284(3), pages 801-813.
    16. Changhee Kim & Soo Wook Kim & Hee Jay Kang & Seung-Min Song, 2017. "What Makes Urban Transportation Efficient? Evidence from Subway Transfer Stations in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-18, November.
    17. repec:agr:journl:v:4(621):y:2019:i:4(621):p:241-264 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. M. Foddi & S. Usai, 2012. "Regional innovation performance in Europe," Working Paper CRENoS 201221, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia.
    19. Blancard, Stéphane & Martin, Elsa, 2014. "Energy efficiency measurement in agriculture with imprecise energy content information," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 198-208.
    20. Élisé Wendlassida Miningou & Medjy Pierre‐Louis & Jean‐Marc Bernard, 2022. "Improving learning outcomes in francophone Africa: More resources or improved efficiency?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(1), pages 127-141, March.
    21. Petridis, Konstantinos & Malesios, Chrisovalantis & Arabatzis, Garyfallos & Thanassoulis, Emmanuel, 2013. "Efficiency analysis of forestry journals: Suggestions for improving journals’ quality," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 505-521.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2722-:d:1615652. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.