Measuring and spatially decomposing green total factor energy efficiency in Chinese cities

Existing studies on green total-factor energy efficiency have predominantly examined intra-urban input–output relationships, while the negative externalities generated by pollution-related spatial spillovers have received insufficient attention. To address this gap, pollution spillovers are incorporated as undesirable inputs into a super-efficiency SBM-GML framework, through which the green total-factor energy efficiency of 284 Chinese cities is measured. These cities are further grouped into eight comprehensive economic regions to investigate the dynamic evolution of regional green energy efficiency, followed by an empirical assessment of the determinants of inter-city disparities. The findings reveal that: (1) between 2015 and 2022, China’s green total-factor energy efficiency generally increased, although its rate of improvement declined over time; (2) pronounced heterogeneity was observed across the eight regions, with regional performance constrained by either efficiency change (EC) or technological change (TC); and (3) economic growth, technological innovation and the green industrial park policy were found to enhance green total-factor energy efficiency, whereas higher population density and environmental protection impeded its improvement. These findings offer practical implications for designing region-specific policies aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and advancing sustainable regional development.