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Examining the effects of economic growth pressure on green total factor productivity: evidence from China

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  • Jiekuan Zhang

    (Guilin Tourism University)

  • Yan Zhang

    (Guilin Tourism University)

Abstract

The demand for political promotion brings significant economic growth pressure (EGP) on local officials, which brings considerable economic and environmental impacts and thus theoretically has a significant effect on green total factor productivity (GTFP). However, few studies have explored the theoretical relationship between EGP and GTFP. To fill this gap, this paper based on Chinese prefecture-level cities indicates an inverted U-shaped relationship between EGP and GTFP. Moreover, EGP leads to non-monotonic changes in GTFP through its influence on technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the significant inverted U-shaped relationship between EGP and GTFP exists only in western and northeastern China. Longitudinally, this relationship exists only in the most recent period between 2015 and 2019. The article provides the first evidence of the relationship between EGP and GTFP and offers theoretical and practical insights as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiekuan Zhang & Yan Zhang, 2023. "Examining the effects of economic growth pressure on green total factor productivity: evidence from China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 4309-4337, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ecopln:v:56:y:2023:i:6:d:10.1007_s10644-023-09555-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10644-023-09555-z
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    2. Wang, Bo & Wang, Jianda, 2025. "China’s green digital era: How does digital economy enable green economic growth?," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 4(1).
    3. Renjin Sun & Nan Yu & Dongou Hu & Su Yang & Huihui Li, 2025. "What is the degree of high-quality development of oil–gas resource-based cities in China: based on a new total factor productivity measurement method," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(5), pages 10807-10834, May.
    4. Zhang, Fan & Wang, Feng & Yao, Shujie, 2024. "Does government-driven infrastructure boost green innovation? Evidence of new infrastructure plan in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    5. Li, Mulin & Hou, Yufei & Jia, Zhiya & Li, Jingang, 2023. "Role of green technological innovation in the green economic growth in China's natural resource markets," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).

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