IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v12y2025i1d10.1057_s41599-025-04916-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Spatiotemporal evolution and convergence patterns of urban carbon emission efficiency in China

Author

Listed:
  • Chuanqing Wu

    (Wuhan University
    Wuhan University)

  • Heshun Deng

    (Wuhan University)

  • Hao Zhao

    (Wuhan University)

  • Qiwei Xia

    (Wuhan University)

Abstract

This paper utilizes the super-efficiency SBM-DEA model that accounts for environmentally detrimental outputs to assess urban carbon emission efficiency (UCEE) across 282 cities in China. The Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition is utilized for assessing the disparity among China’s four major regions. Additionally, the non-parametric kernel density estimation (KDE) is utilized for illustrating the changing patterns of UCEE across different regions. The coefficient of variation and spatial panel model are utilized for calculating σ-convergence and β-convergence, respectively. The findings reveal a consistent decrease in UCEE across China’s major geographical divisions; this difference is primarily attributed to hypervariable density. Moreover, significant disparities exist in terms of dynamic evolution characteristics of UCEE among different regions, with more pronounced urban polarization effects observed in Western China and Northeastern China. Different regions exhibit distinct convergence characteristics. The influence of economic level, industrial structure, foreign direct investment, urbanization rate, and green technology innovation on the rate of variation in UCEE exhibits notable heterogeneity.

Suggested Citation

  • Chuanqing Wu & Heshun Deng & Hao Zhao & Qiwei Xia, 2025. "Spatiotemporal evolution and convergence patterns of urban carbon emission efficiency in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-04916-7
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04916-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-04916-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-025-04916-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Wei-Zheng & Liu, Lan-Cui & Liao, Hua & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2021. "Impacts of urbanization on carbon emissions: An empirical analysis from OECD countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    2. 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.
    3. Hao Wang & Tao Zhang & Xi Wang, 2024. "High-speed railways reduces carbon emissions: mediating effects of green innovation and the resilience of environmental investment," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Heyu Lu & Zongfa Wu, 2025. "Digital finance and equitable industrial carbon emissions: an empirical analysis of Chinese cities," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Tone, Kaoru, 2002. "A slacks-based measure of super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 32-41, November.
    6. Trinks, Arjan & Mulder, Machiel & Scholtens, Bert, 2020. "An Efficiency Perspective on Carbon Emissions and Financial Performance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. Bhattacharya, Mita & Inekwe, John N. & Sadorsky, Perry, 2020. "Consumption-based and territory-based carbon emissions intensity: Determinants and forecasting using club convergence across countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    10. Li-Ming Xue & Zhi-Xue Zheng & Shuo Meng & Mingjun Li & Huaqing Li & Ji-Ming Chen, 2022. "Carbon emission efficiency and spatio-temporal dynamic evolution of the cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 7640-7664, June.
    11. Li, Zhiguo & Wang, Jie, 2022. "Spatial spillover effect of carbon emission trading on carbon emission reduction: Empirical data from pilot regions in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    12. Zhang, Qi & Gu, Baihe & Zhang, Haiying & Ji, Qiang, 2023. "Emission reduction mode of China's provincial transportation sector: Based on “Energy+” carbon efficiency evaluation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    13. Jun Wan & Chenggang Li & Zhangting Yang & Liang Wu & Mu Yue, 2025. "Dynamic spatial spillover effects of financial agglomeration on CO2 emissions: the case of China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Zhang, Wei & Li, Jing & Li, Guoxiang & Guo, Shucen, 2020. "Emission reduction effect and carbon market efficiency of carbon emissions trading policy in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    15. Meng, Xin & Yu, Yanni, 2023. "Can renewable energy portfolio standards and carbon tax policies promote carbon emission reduction in China's power industry?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    16. Yuxin Wu & Xiufeng Zhao, 2025. "Climate action contributor and carbon space appropriator: national image construction of China in dual-carbon commitment from Indian media’s perspective," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Dagum, Camilo, 1997. "A New Approach to the Decomposition of the Gini Income Inequality Ratio," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 515-531.
    18. Wen, Wen & Zhou, P. & Zhang, Fuqiang, 2018. "Carbon emissions abatement: Emissions trading vs consumer awareness," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 34-47.
    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. Ruijing Zheng & Yu Cheng & Haimeng Liu & Wei Chen & Xiaodong Chen & Yaping Wang, 2022. "The Spatiotemporal Distribution and Drivers of Urban Carbon Emission Efficiency: The Role of Technological Innovation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-22, July.
    2. Ningyi Liu & Yongyu Wang, 2022. "Urban Agglomeration Ecological Welfare Performance and Spatial Convergence Research in the Yellow River Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Vicente J. Bolós & Rafael Benítez & Vicente Coll-Serrano, 2023. "Continuous models combining slacks-based measures of efficiency and super-efficiency," 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. 31(2), pages 363-391, June.
    4. Xiaoxue Wei & Rui Zhao & Ranran Li & Ke Liu, 2025. "High-quality development efficiency in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration: analysis of spatiotemporal evaluation and influencing factors," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 7297-7323, March.
    5. Yung-ho Chiu & Chin-wei Huang & Chung-te Ting, 2012. "A non-radial measure of different systems for Taiwanese tourist hotels’ efficiency assessment," 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. 20(1), pages 45-63, March.
    6. Yan Zhang & Zihan Xin & Guoya Gan, 2024. "Evaluating the Sustainable Development Performance of China’s International Commercial Ports Based on Environmental, Social and Governance Elements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Zhen Shi & Huinan Huang & Yingju Wu & Yung-Ho Chiu & Shijiong Qin, 2020. "Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Production and Crop Disaster Area in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-23, July.
    8. Tran, Trung Hieu & Mao, Yong & Nathanail, Paul & Siebers, Peer-Olaf & Robinson, Darren, 2019. "Integrating slacks-based measure of efficiency and super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 156-165.
    9. Avkiran, Necmi K., 2007. "Stability and integrity tests in data envelopment analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 224-234, September.
    10. Liang-Han Ma & Jin-Chi Hsieh & Yung-Ho Chiu, 2020. "Comparing regional differences in global energy performance," Energy & Environment, , vol. 31(6), pages 943-960, September.
    11. Berger, Michael & Sommersguter-Reichmann, Margit & Czypionka, Thomas, 2020. "Determinants of soft budget constraints: how public debt affects hospital performance in Austria," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 116865, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Shiu-Wan Hung & Chao-Liang Chang & Shu Ming Liu, 2019. "Innovation System Assessment Model for Sustainability Planning in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-24, December.
    13. Du, Juan & Chen, Chien-Ming & Chen, Yao & Cook, Wade D. & Zhu, Joe, 2012. "Additive super-efficiency in integer-valued data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 218(1), pages 186-192.
    14. Ruomeng Zhou & Yunsheng Zhang, 2023. "Measurement of Urban Green Total Factor Productivity and Analysis of Its Temporal and Spatial Evolution in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-32, June.
    15. Irena Lacka & Lukasz Brzezicki, 2021. "The Efficiency and Productivity Evaluation of National Innovation Systems in Europe," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 471-496.
    16. Geng Peng & Xiaodan Zhang & Fang Liu & Lijuan Ruan & Kaiyou Tian, 2021. "Spatial–temporal evolution and regional difference decomposition of urban environmental governance efficiency in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8974-8990, June.
    17. repec:ers:journl:v:xxiv:y:2021:i:special3:p:471-496 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Victoria Wojcik & Harald Dyckhoff & Marcel Clermont, 2019. "Is data envelopment analysis a suitable tool for performance measurement and benchmarking in non-production contexts?," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(2), pages 559-595, December.
    19. Necmi Kemal Avkiran, 2017. "An illustration of multiple-stakeholder perspective using a survey across Australia, China and Japan," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 248(1), pages 93-121, January.
    20. Ruirui Fang & Yue Ma & Lianyong Feng, 2025. "A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Impact of China’s Carbon Market on Carbon Emission Efficiency from the Total-Factor Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-16, June.
    21. Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lu, Wen-Min, 2016. "Research fronts in data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 33-45.

    More about this item

    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:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-04916-7. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.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.