Evaluation and Influencing Factor Analysis of Sustainable Green Transformation Efficiency of Resource-Based Cities in Western China in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Abstract

Under the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), green, low-carbon, and sustainable development has become a global consensus, and the world will enter a low-carbon and intelligent production mode faster. As the largest contributor to world economic growth and an active participant in global environmental governance, achieving green recovery and the high-quality economic and social development of China is of great significance to promote the global sustainable development strategy. The green transformation of resource-based cities in Western China is the key factor for China to build a high-quality modern economic system and promote long-term sustainable development. This article used the Super Efficiency Slack Based Model (Super-SBM) model and Malmquist index model of the Data Envelope Analysis (DEA) method to measure the static and dynamic green transformation efficiency of resource-based cities in Western China. It investigated the impact of different factors on the static and dynamic efficiency by constructing panel Tobit and dynamic panel models. The research found that the static efficiency of the green transformation of resource-based cities in Western China is low, and the development is uneven. The dynamic efficiency of green transformation showed a fluctuating upward trend first and an accelerating upward trend later. Different factors have different effects on green transformation efficiency. This article holds that the combination of post-epidemic economic recovery and green transformation is expected to promote the green transformation of western resource-based cities while injecting new vitality into China's green sustainable development in the post-COVID-19 era.