Abstract
Improving green productivity is an important way to achieve sustainable development. In this paper, we use the Global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) index to measure and decompose the green productivity growth of 18 cities in Xinjiang over 2000–2015. Furthermore, this study also explores factors influencing urban green productivity growth. Our results reveal that the urban green productivity in Xinjiang has slowly declined during the sample period. Technological progress is the main factor contributing to green productivity growth, while improvements in efficiency lag behind. Implementing stricter environmental regulation, improving infrastructure, and appropriately enhancing the spatial agglomeration of economic activities may improve green productivity, while the increase in the size of the industrial base in the near future will likely hinder green productivity growth. Based on these results, this paper puts forward corresponding policy suggestions for the sustainable development of the urban economy in Xinjiang.
Highlights
Since the economic and political reforms of 1978, when China began to open up to the outside world, China’s economy has made remarkable achievements and has become the second largest economy in the world
The results show that cities in Xinjiang need to improve green efficiency and introduce advanced technologies
Based on their spatial distribution, the 18 cities in Xinjiang are divided into three groups: cities found in the North of the Xinjiang, cities found in the East of Xinjiang, and cities found in the South oSufsXtaiinnajbiialintyg2.01T7h, 9e,rxeFaOrRe PaElsEoR sRoEmVIeEWdifferences in urban green productivity growth between diffe8roefn12t regions (Figure 4)
Summary
Since the economic and political reforms of 1978, when China began to open up to the outside world, China’s economy has made remarkable achievements and has become the second largest economy in the world. Environmental pollution and resource consumption is increasingly becoming a serious problem for China, especially considering China’s rapid economic growth. Air pollution has caused China to lose an estimated 10% of its GDP [2] as well as 350,000 to 500,000 premature deaths [3] This extensive development mode, requiring high levels of inputs and high levels of pollution is not sustainable [4], and hinders the country from realizing further economic growth [5]. The key to sustainable growth for China’s economy is to improve production efficiency while reducing resource consumption and environmental pollution. The negative impacts of water pollution, air pollution, desertification, and overall ecological destruction have become increasingly prominent, which have changed Xinjiang into one of the unhealthiest regions in China. It is necessary to make unbiased measures of urban green productivity—including environmental factors—to provide better suggestions for the sustainable development of cities
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
