Performance evaluation of inclusive green growth in China: Dynamic evolution, regional differences, and spatial correlation

Abstract

Inclusive green growth is an essential way to achieve sustainable development. We construct an index system for inclusive green growth performance levels (IGGPLs) in Chinese cities and measure the IGGPLs of 271 cities in the Chinese mainland from 2006 to 2020 based on the vertical and horizontal scatter degree method. We employ the Kernel density method, Dagum Gini coefficient method, Moran index method, and Markov chain method to investigate distribution evolution, regional disparities, spatial correlations, and state transition of IGGPLs at the city level, respectively. The research results reveal that: (1) China’s IGGPL has improved rapidly, but regions with lower IGGPLs still predominate. The eastern region is far ahead, followed by the northeastern region, with the western and center regions trailing; (2) The development trends of IGGPLs in the eastern and central regions are positive, with no signs of polarization. Although polarizations are obvious in the western and northeastern but have been improved significantly; (3) Regional differences exist, but are gradually narrowing over time. By decomposing regional differences, we find that regional differences are the main cause of total differences; (4) The IGGPLs of cities have significant spatial correlations, presenting the spatial agglomeration characteristics of “high-high” and “low-low”.