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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
An Investigation on Measuring Carbon
Emission Efficiency and Its Influencing
Elements in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
– Based on the SBM-Malmquist-Tobit Model
1
Nanjing University of Finance & Economics Hongshan College, China
Submission date: 2024-07-26
Final revision date: 2024-09-26
Acceptance date: 2024-11-10
Online publication date: 2025-01-27
Publication date: 2026-01-29
Corresponding author
Weiran Liu
Nanjing University of Finance & Economics Hongshan College, No. 66 Luming Road, Gaochun District, 211314, Nanjing, China
Nanjing University of Finance & Economics Hongshan College, No. 66 Luming Road, Gaochun District, 211314, Nanjing, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(1):209-218
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
First, this paper adopts the SBM-Malmquist model, which includes undesired output indicators,
to examine the carbon emission efficiency of 11 provinces and municipalities in the Yangtze River
Economic Belt from 2004 to 2021 in both a static and dynamic way. Subsequently, this paper utilizes the
Tobit regression model to investigate the variables that impact carbon emission efficiency. The empirical
results indicate that: (1) Although the data indicates a gradual rise in the carbon emission efficiency
of the provinces and municipalities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the total level of carbon
emission efficiency remains relatively low. (2) Urbanization level and technological progress contribute
significantly to carbon efficiency, while two factors, the opening-up level and energy structure, reduce
it.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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