Analysis on synergistic effects of the ecological environment construction and the economic growth — a case study of Shandong Province, China

Abstract

Ecological environment construction is an important strategic decision to achieve sustainable development. It is also a potential motive force to ensure longterm, steady and orderly development of the economy. In consideration of the fact that Shandong Province is the typical epitome of China in the new era, this paper is based on comprehensive investigations on the construction status of ecological environment in 17 cities of Shandong Province, and constructs an analysis framework of the ecological environment construction and economic growth. Using methodologies of AHP Evaluation Model, Co-Integration Analysis, Granger Causality Test and Error Correction Model etc., this paper makes the empirical studies on the relations between environmental protection investment, industrial pollution control, urban environment construction, natural resources conservation and the ecological environment construction in Shandong Province. Our research found that: the overall level of ecological environment construction in Shandong province has been constantly and steadily enhanced, among which the level of urban environment construction has risen the most, followed by environmental protection investment, industrial pollution control and natural resources conservation. Besides, there is a long-term equilibrium relation between the ecological environment construction and economic growth of Shandong Province, among which the bidirectional synergistic effect on the environmental protection investment and economic growth of eastern Shandong is the most remarkable. Therefore, this paper puts forward countermeasures and suggestions, for example, implementing ecological development policies towards spatial differences, improving the ecological environment management, actively implementing environmental economic policies etc.