Inclusive green growth and regional disparities: Evidence from china

Abstract

It is determined that inclusive green growth comprises processes of economic development and inclusiveness as a system of inclusions, taking into account the anthropogenic burden on the ecosystem, as well as the relational nature of socio‐economic transformations. This article is an evaluation of this issue in the context of a contemporary Chinese society beset by regional inequalities that uses the Yangtze River basin as a case study. An index system has been constructed for inclusive green growth measurement, and kernel density and the Dagum Gini coefficient are used to analyze and describe characteristics regarding the distribution and spatial disparities within and between city clusters. The article then concludes that all city clusters are developing towards an inclusive green economy. There are still significant inequalities in inclusive growth among city clus-ters. Most city clusters are converging so slow that it will take a long time for weaker cites to catch up with stronger cites. City clusters also suffer major inner imbalances and gaps are widening. This paper argues that the profession needs to be more proactive in promoting strategic and targeted policies within such an unequal growth context.