IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v9y2017i8p1483-d109144.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Sustainable Development Ability and Pathway for Major Cities in China

Author

Listed:
  • Shih-Heng Yu

    (Department of Business Administration, National Central University, Zhongli 320, Taiwan)

  • Yu Gao

    (Department of Business Administration, National Central University, Zhongli 320, Taiwan)

  • Yih-Chearng Shiue

    (Department of Information Management, National Central University, Zhongli 320, Taiwan)

Abstract

Sustainability consists of economic, environmental, and societal aspects. Concomitant with China’s rapid growth, the evaluation of China’s ability for sustainable development (SD) has become a topic of interest. Unlike previous studies that are based on provincial regions and focus on economic and/or environmental evaluations, we have evaluated the comprehensive SD ability of 34 major cities in China using the context-dependent data envelopment analysis (CD-DEA) and proposed benchmark-learning pathways. The results indicate that the SD ability of China’s major cities may be classified and ordered from low tiers to high tiers: high energy consumption and polluting industries—intensive industries—fixed asset investments and service industries—innovation, quality of life and societal services industries. As a whole, cities along the coast have a higher ability for SD than inland cities, and southern cities also rate higher than northern cities. Cities that are prioritized by government policies and funding also have higher SD abilities than other cities. We recommend that cities with lower abilities (i.e., cities in the second, third, and fourth tiers) should adopt the following points in their developmental pathways (in this order): the control of energy consumption and environmental pollution, industry upgrading and redevelopment of the city, and the development of an environment that encourages innovation and provides ample employment. This study finds that GDP is no longer an issue that restricts the SD ability of China’s major cities, as compared to other factors. As China progresses towards the sustainable cities, focus should be placed on the development of a knowledge-intensive economy, balanced development, and pollution prevention.

Suggested Citation

  • Shih-Heng Yu & Yu Gao & Yih-Chearng Shiue, 2017. "A Comprehensive Evaluation of Sustainable Development Ability and Pathway for Major Cities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-15, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:8:p:1483-:d:109144
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/8/1483/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/8/1483/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Li, Lan-Bing & Hu, Jin-Li, 2012. "Ecological total-factor energy efficiency of regions in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 216-224.
    2. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan, 2015. "China's regional sustainability and diversified resource allocation: DEA environmental assessment on economic development and air pollution," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 239-256.
    3. Qing Yang & Xingzi Wan & Huimin Ma, 2015. "Assessing Green Development Efficiency of Municipalities and Provinces in China Integrating Models of Super-Efficiency DEA and Malmquist Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-19, April.
    4. Xueping Tao & Ping Wang & Bangzhu Zhu, 2016. "Measuring the Interprovincial CO 2 Emissions Considering Electric Power Dispatching in China: From Production and Consumption Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-12, May.
    5. Zhang, Bing & Bi, Jun & Fan, Ziying & Yuan, Zengwei & Ge, Junjie, 2008. "Eco-efficiency analysis of industrial system in China: A data envelopment analysis approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 306-316, December.
    6. Ya Chen & Wade D. Cook & Juan Du & Hanhui Hu & Joe Zhu, 2017. "Bounded and discrete data and Likert scales in data envelopment analysis: application to regional energy efficiency in China," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 255(1), pages 347-366, August.
    7. Seiford, Lawrence M. & Zhu, Joe, 2003. "Context-dependent data envelopment analysis--Measuring attractiveness and progress," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 397-408, October.
    8. Pahl-Wostl, Claudia & Tabara, David & Bouwen, Rene & Craps, Marc & Dewulf, Art & Mostert, Erik & Ridder, Dagmar & Taillieu, Tharsi, 2008. "The importance of social learning and culture for sustainable water management," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 484-495, January.
    9. W-M Lu & S-F Lo, 2007. "A benchmark-learning roadmap for regional sustainable development in China," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(7), pages 841-849, July.
    10. Yang, Wen-Chi & Lee, Yuh-Ming & Hu, Jin-Li, 2016. "Urban sustainability assessment of Taiwan based on data envelopment analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 341-353.
    11. Jaehun Park & Si-Il Sung, 2016. "Integrated Approach to Construction of Benchmarking Network in DEA-Based Stepwise Benchmark Target Selection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-15, June.
    12. Zhou, P. & Ang, B.W., 2008. "Linear programming models for measuring economy-wide energy efficiency performance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 2901-2906, August.
    13. Wang, Ke & Wei, Yi-Ming & Zhang, Xian, 2013. "Energy and emissions efficiency patterns of Chinese regions: A multi-directional efficiency analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 105-116.
    14. Hu, Jin-Li & Wang, Shih-Chuan, 2006. "Total-factor energy efficiency of regions in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(17), pages 3206-3217, November.
    15. Xiao-Chen Yuan & Qian Wang & Ke Wang & Bing Wang & Ju-Liang Jin & Yi-Ming Wei, 2013. "China's regional vulnerability to drought and its mitigation strategies under climate change: Data envelopment analysis and analytic hierarchy process integrated approach," CEEP-BIT Working Papers 44, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEP), Beijing Institute of Technology.
    16. Morita, Hiroshi & Hirokawa, Koichiro & Zhu, Joe, 2005. "A slack-based measure of efficiency in context-dependent data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 357-362, August.
    17. Wang, Ke & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2014. "China’s regional industrial energy efficiency and carbon emissions abatement costs," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 617-631.
    18. Charnes, Abraham & Cooper, William W. & Li, Shanling, 1989. "Using data envelopment analysis to evaluate efficiency in the economic performance of Chinese cities," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 325-344.
    19. Lam, Pun-Lee & Shiu, Alice, 2001. "A data envelopment analysis of the efficiency of China's thermal power generation," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 75-83, June.
    20. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    21. Honma, Satoshi & Hu, Jin-Li, 2008. "Total-factor energy efficiency of regions in Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 821-833, February.
    22. Zhou, P. & Ang, B.W. & Poh, K.L., 2006. "Slacks-based efficiency measures for modeling environmental performance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 111-118, November.
    23. Wu, Jie & Zhu, Qingyuan & Liang, Liang, 2016. "CO2 emissions and energy intensity reduction allocation over provincial industrial sectors in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 282-291.
    24. D. Gibbs, 1998. "Regional development agencies and sustainable development," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 365-368.
    25. Tone, Kaoru, 2001. "A slacks-based measure of efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(3), pages 498-509, May.
    26. William W. Cooper & Lawrence M. Seiford & Kaoru Tone, 2007. "Data Envelopment Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-0-387-45283-8, December.
    27. Zhang, Na & Lior, Noam & Jin, Hongguang, 2011. "The energy situation and its sustainable development strategy in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 3639-3649.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abbas Mardani & Dalia Streimikiene & Tomas Balezentis & Muhamad Zameri Mat Saman & Khalil Md Nor & Seyed Meysam Khoshnava, 2018. "Data Envelopment Analysis in Energy and Environmental Economics: An Overview of the State-of-the-Art and Recent Development Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Ke-Liang Wang & Li-Li Ding & Jian-Min Wang & Mian Yang, 2020. "Analysis of provincial total-factor air pollution efficiency in China by using context-dependent slacks-based measure considering undesirable outputs," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 104(2), pages 1899-1921, November.
    3. Buket Özdemir Işık & Sara Demir, 2017. "Integrated Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods for the Sustainability of Historical–Cultural Structures on the Trabzon Coastline," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-19, November.
    4. Shih-Heng Yu, 2019. "Benchmarking and Performance Evaluation Towards the Sustainable Development of Regions in Taiwan: A Minimum Distance-Based Measure with Undesirable Outputs in Additive DEA," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(3), pages 1323-1348, August.
    5. Damián Fernández-Cerero & Alejandro Fernández-Montes & Francisco Velasco, 2018. "Productive Efficiency of Energy-Aware Data Centers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-17, August.
    6. Chia-Nan Wang & Hoang-Phu Nguyen & Cheng-Wen Chang, 2021. "Environmental Efficiency Evaluation in the Top Asian Economies: An Application of DEA," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-19, April.

    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. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan & Goto, Mika, 2017. "A literature study for DEA applied to energy and environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 104-124.
    2. Zhou, Haibo & Yang, Yi & Chen, Yao & Zhu, Joe, 2018. "Data envelopment analysis application in sustainability: The origins, development and future directions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(1), pages 1-16.
    3. Mardani, Abbas & Zavadskas, Edmundas Kazimieras & Streimikiene, Dalia & Jusoh, Ahmad & Khoshnoudi, Masoumeh, 2017. "A comprehensive review of data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach in energy efficiency," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1298-1322.
    4. Bi, Gong-Bing & Song, Wen & Zhou, P. & Liang, Liang, 2014. "Does environmental regulation affect energy efficiency in China's thermal power generation? Empirical evidence from a slacks-based DEA model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 537-546.
    5. Du, Huibin & Matisoff, Daniel C. & Wang, Yangyang & Liu, Xi, 2016. "Understanding drivers of energy efficiency changes in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1196-1206.
    6. Ping Wang & Bangzhu Zhu & Xueping Tao & Rui Xie, 2017. "Measuring regional energy efficiencies in China: a meta-frontier SBM-Undesirable approach," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 85(2), pages 793-809, January.
    7. Ying Li & Yung-ho Chiu & Tai-Yu Lin, 2019. "Energy and Environmental Efficiency in Different Chinese Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-26, February.
    8. Qin, Quande & Li, Xin & Li, Li & Zhen, Wei & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2017. "Air emissions perspective on energy efficiency: An empirical analysis of China’s coastal areas," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 604-614.
    9. Shuangjie Li & Li Li & Liming Wang, 2020. "2030 Target for Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction in the EU Paper Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Li, Jianglong & Lin, Boqiang, 2017. "Ecological total-factor energy efficiency of China's heavy and light industries: Which performs better?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 83-94.
    11. Wang, Qunwei & Su, Bin & Sun, Jiasen & Zhou, Peng & Zhou, Dequn, 2015. "Measurement and decomposition of energy-saving and emissions reduction performance in Chinese cities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 85-92.
    12. Iftikhar, Yaser & Wang, Zhaohua & Zhang, Bin & Wang, Bo, 2018. "Energy and CO2 emissions efficiency of major economies: A network DEA approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 197-207.
    13. Yu, Dejian & He, Xiaorong, 2020. "A bibliometric study for DEA applied to energy efficiency: Trends and future challenges," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    14. Wang, Zhaohua & Feng, Chao, 2015. "Sources of production inefficiency and productivity growth in China: A global data envelopment analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 380-389.
    15. Chang, Young-Tae & Zhang, Ning & Danao, Denise & Zhang, Nan, 2013. "Environmental efficiency analysis of transportation system in China: A non-radial DEA approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 277-283.
    16. Ke-Liang Wang & Li-Li Ding & Jian-Min Wang & Mian Yang, 2020. "Analysis of provincial total-factor air pollution efficiency in China by using context-dependent slacks-based measure considering undesirable outputs," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 104(2), pages 1899-1921, November.
    17. Shujing Yue & Yang Yang & Jun Shao & Yuting Zhu, 2016. "International Comparison of Total Factor Ecology Efficiency: Focused on G20 from 1999–2013," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-13, November.
    18. Yang, Wen-Chi & Lee, Yuh-Ming & Hu, Jin-Li, 2016. "Urban sustainability assessment of Taiwan based on data envelopment analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 341-353.
    19. Yonglin Li & Zhili Zuo & Deyi Xu & Yi Wei, 2021. "Mining Eco-Efficiency Measurement and Driving Factors Identification Based on Meta-US-SBM in Guangxi Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-22, May.
    20. Kangjuan Lv & Anyu Yu & Yiwen Bian, 2017. "Regional energy efficiency and its determinants in China during 2001–2010: a slacks-based measure and spatial econometric analysis," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 65-81, February.

    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:9:y:2017:i:8:p:1483-:d:109144. 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 (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.