Using eco-efficiency and eco-wellbeing performance as indicators for urban sustainable development: A two-stage network analysis

Sustainable development is one of the most significant issues of concern around the world today. Sustainable development goals cover natural resources, the environment, and human well-being. It follows that eco-efficiency (EE) and eco-well-being performance (EWP) are valid tools for measuring the level of different stages of sustainable development. This study uses a two-stage super-SBM model to gauge the EE and EWP of 281 cities in China from 2011 to 2019. The results show the following: (1) The national EE average is low, with M-shaped "rising-declining-rising-declining" fluctuation. The national EWP average is low, but there is a clear upward trend. (2) From a regional perspective, the best EE is in the eastern region, followed by the central and western regions, and the worst is in the northeastern region. The best EWP is in the western region, followed by the eastern and northeastern regions, and the worst is in the central region. (3) Among the 281 sample cities, approximately 12.8% are in the high EE-high EWP development mode, 25.6% are in the high EE-low EWP development mode, 18.2% are in the low EE-high EWP development mode, and 43.4% are in the low EE-low EWP development mode. Collectively, the three cities with the strongest sustainability are Shenzhen, Beijing, and Haikou, and the three weakest are Baise, Jinchang, and Baiyin. In addition, cities with larger populations tend to exhibit greater sustainability. These results provide the necessary reference for Chinese cities and cities worldwide in similar situations to formulate policies to improve sustainability.