Abstract
In the context of China’s Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), ports have a new opportunity to realize high-quality development. Based on the analysis of the current situation of pollutant emissions from ports in China’s Pilot Free Trade Zones (FTZs), this paper introduces environmental factors into the analysis framework of the total factor productivity (TFP) of ports in China’s FTZs, and uses the Global Malmquist–Luenberger index method to analyze the evolution trend and heterogeneity of green TFP in 28 ports of China’s 19 FTZs from 2011 to 2017. The results show that firstly, the emissions of sulfur dioxide (), nitrogen oxides () and other pollutants in China’s FTZs have been decreasing year by year. Secondly, both the green TFP and the traditional TFP of the ports in FTZs are on the rise. The absence of environmental factors leads to the underestimation of the TFP of ports. For the green TFP, the main source of its growth is technological progress. Thirdly, there is obvious port heterogeneity in the green TFP of FTZ ports. Nanjing Port has the highest green TFP growth rate, with an average annual growth rate of 21.95%. Ningbo Port, which ranks 14th, has an average annual growth rate of 5.46%. Fuzhou Port, which is rated last, has negative growth. Fourthly, there is also obvious types and regional heterogeneity in the green TFP of FTZ ports. When categorized by type, the average annual growth rate of green TFP in inland ports is significantly higher than that of coastal ports. When categorized by region, the descending order of the average annual growth rate of green TFP is the western region, the eastern region and the central region. Fifthly, the green TFP differences among the eastern, central, and western regions, as well as between inland ports and coastal ports, are shrinking. Moreover, the green TFP differences within inland ports and coastal ports and within central ports and eastern ports are also shrinking, implying there may be σ convergence. The conclusions of this paper have important implications for the scientific understanding of the heterogeneity of green TFP growth in ports in China’s FTZs, and how to promote the green development of ports in China’s FTZs under environmental constraints.
Highlights
With the continuous strengthening of economic globalization, the impact of the economic crisis is more likely to spread all over the world [1]
Before measuring the green total factor productivity (TFP) and traditional TFP of the ports in Free Trade Zone (FTZ), this paper focuses on the analysis of the environmental pollution of the ports
After the introduction of environmental factors, the annual growth rate of green TFP of the ports in FTZs increased to 4.43%, of which the annual growth rate of technical efficiency decreased to 0.57%
Summary
With the continuous strengthening of economic globalization, the impact of the economic crisis is more likely to spread all over the world [1]. As one of the five development concepts first proposed at the fifth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the green development concept emphasizes taking a green low-carbon cycle as the main principle, and ecological civilization construction as the basic starting point of development This is undoubtedly significant for the sustainable development and high-quality development of ports in FTZs. as early as November 2002, the report of the 16th CPC National Congress put forward the specific objectives of ecological construction, which emphasized the protection of the environment and resources as the basic national policy, and began to realize that “good ecology” is one of the symbols of “civilization”. Congress put forward the scientific concept of “ecological civilization”, which outlined that “establishing the concept of green and low-carbon development, focusing on energy conservation and emission reduction, improving the incentive and restraint mechanism, accelerating the construction of resource-saving and environment-friendly production and consumption modes, and enhancing the ability of sustainable development” was taken as the general requirement for the development of the national economy. The green TFP differences within inland ports and coastal ports, and within central ports and eastern ports, are shrinking, implying there may be σ convergence
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