Natural resources, education, and green economic development

The pursuit of green economic prosperity within the context of economic development remains a contentious issue among scholars. This study investigates the relationship between education and resource utilization efficiency across 23 Chinese provinces from 1995 to 2020, utilizing the System-GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) technique. The findings indicate a positive association between sustainable education and resource efficiency. Specifically, a 1% increase in the sustainable higher education development index leads to a 0.69% improvement in the efficiency of natural resource utilization. Additionally, fostering green electricity consumption demonstrates potential for enhancing resource efficiency in Chinese provinces. However, challenges arise from increased investment and fossil fuel consumption, hindering efforts to improve natural resource efficiency. To address these issues, the study suggests practical policy implications for China, including the development of sustainable financial markets, expansion of education for sustainable development (ESD) programs, and the establishment of circular economic mechanisms.