Inclusive green productivity growth in China: identification of sources and evolutionary patterns

Enhancing inclusive green total factor productivity (GITFP) growth has become an unavoidable option for economic development in light of high-quality economic development. This study contributed by improving the static green Solow model with the incorporation of energy environment and residential income gap factors. It uses the two-period directional distance function and the green inclusive Luenberger productivity indicator to identify the source and evolution of GITFP growth in China between 2001 and 2019. The regularity assessment data indicate that (1) China's GITFP increased from 2001 to 2019, with technical advancement as the primary driver and efficiency deterioration preventing future improvement. (2) For factor power sources, green productivity growth is mainly driven by energy saving and emission reduction effectiveness, with emission reduction performance being superior to energy conservation performance. In China, labor performance beats capital growth and GDP growth, whereas social performance adds a certain degree of green for inclusive TFP development. The eastern and western regions exhibit a single-wheel development pattern of efficiency decline and technological advancement. In contrast, the central region exhibits a two-wheel development pattern of efficiency increase and technological advancement. (3) Provinces in the East with strong economies, like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong, are at the forefront of technology and act as "innovators" during the research, while provinces in the center and west are trying to catch up. On the basis of the above research, among the policy recommendations presented are the establishment of a performance evaluation mechanism for China's inclusive green growth and the modification of the notion of economic development. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]