The green development in China through the lens of complex cybernetics: Insight for a new era

Measuring the level of green development is far from being a well-assessed problem, due to both the broad meaning of green development and the presence of randomness in environmental changes. In this paper, we develop the sustainable development evaluation index system from different perspectives, including resource utilization, green development management, green development quality, environmental protection, growth quality and green lifestyle. This evaluation index system is further viewed as a cybernetic system. Following a rough set approach, we properly address the issue of uncertainty and develop a robust estimation methodology. Neighborhood rough set and rough set methods based on genetic algorithms (GAs) have been used to identify the key indicators within the system. First, the results illustrate how a cybernetic approach deals with green policy and economic growth. Second, such a cybernetic approach provides new insights into identifying the main attributes for a sustainable development. Finally, stategies of improving green development in different parts of China are provided, concluding this paper. • Measuring green development is challenging due to its broad definition and environmental randomness, making standardized assessments difficult. • The paper introduces a sustainable development evaluation index system, viewing green development from multiple perspectives. • The conclusion presents strategies to enhance green development across China, providing a practical framework for implementing sustainable green policies.