Spatial-temporal Characteristics of Green Development Efficiency and Influencing Factors in Restricted Development Zones: A Case Study of Jilin Province, China

Green development is an important issue of sustainable development in China. Due to the relatively backward economy and the fragile ecological environment, restricted development zones need to embrace green development. Taking 38 counties in Jilin Province as the empirical research objects, and based on cross-sectional data for each county in 2005, 2010, and 2015, we accurately depicted the spatiotemporal evolutionary characteristics of green development efficiency (GDE) in restricted development zones of Jilin Province using the slacks-based measure-data envelope analysis (SBM-DEA) model. Moreover, the factors that influence GDE were further analyzed using the Tobit model. We found that: first, GDE showed a V-shaped trend in restricted development zones of Jilin Province. The differences in GDE in the eastern, central, and western Jilin Province increased gradually. Second, 76% of counties in the restricted development zones had high or higher efficiencies. The resource-based cities were the main areas with low or lower GDE. Third, the economic development level was the core factor affecting GDE. Urbanization level had a significant negative effect on GDE in the restricted development zones. The effect of technological innovation level on GDE fluctuated, and we found that a ‘backward mechanism’ of technological innovation was beginning to form. Industrial structure and environmental governance had no significant effects on GDE.