Evolution of ecosystem service values and their drivers in the ESG era: evidence from China

Understanding the evolution of ecosystem service value (ESV) is crucial for promoting sustainable development and aligning environmental management with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. This study investigates the spatial–temporal dynamics of ESV across China and explores its key driving factors in the context of the emerging ESG era. In this study, a comprehensive input–output evaluation system was constructed to measure the ESV conversion efficiency of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China from 2000 to 2022 using the Super-SBM model. Spatial statistical analysis was then conducted to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of ESV conversion efficiency across multiple scales, and the driving factors were identified with the aid of the GeoDetector model. The results indicate that: (1) China’s ESV conversion efficiency exhibits a significant positive spatial correlation overall, with evident local H–H (high–high) and L–L (low–low) clustering characteristics. (2) The spatiotemporal distribution of ESV conversion efficiency presents a pronounced scale effect. At the national level, the efficiency’s center of gravity shows a westward shift, demonstrating the overall pattern of being strong in the east and weak in the west. Regionally, eastern China maintains the highest efficiency, while western China displays a clear downward trend. At the provincial level, Guangdong and Shanghai rank among the most efficient, whereas Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai remain at the lower end. (3) Environmental attention and the level of marketization are identified as key determinants of ESV conversion efficiency. Moreover, the interaction between environmental attention and openness, as well as that between marketization and environmental attention, was the primary combined forces explaining the spatial variation in efficiency. The findings highlight the need to integrate ESG-driven governance mechanisms into ecosystem management and regional development planning, thereby providing policy insights for balancing ecological value enhancement with sustainable economic growth in China.