Synergistic Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors of High-Quality Economic Development and Green Space Ecological Benefits at Multiple Spatial Scales: Evidence from Shanxi Province, China

Zhen Liu, Xiaodan Li (), Haoyu Tao, Qi Yang, Zhiping Liu and Jing Li
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Zhen Liu: State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, Beijing 100083, China
Xiaodan Li: State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, Beijing 100083, China
Haoyu Tao: State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, Beijing 100083, China
Qi Yang: State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, Beijing 100083, China
Zhiping Liu: State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, Beijing 100083, China
Jing Li: State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, Beijing 100083, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-46

Abstract: Balancing economic growth with the decline in ecosystem service functions presents a critical global challenge in the 21st century. In response to the United Nations Development Programme’s emphasis on localizing Sustainable Development Goals, China has devised policies aimed at synergistically advancing high-quality economic development (HQED) and high-level ecological environment protection. However, research exploring the interplay between regional HQED and green space ecosystem services (GSES) remains limited. Consequently, this study examines Shanxi Province, a prototypical resource-based region in China, to develop localized metrics for green total factor productivity (GTFP) and the valuation of green space ecosystem services (GSESV). It quantifies the efficiency of HQED and the growth rate of green space ecological benefits (GSEB). Employing coupling coordination models, Theil indices, cluster analysis, and enhanced grey relational techniques, the research scrutinizes the evolutionary patterns and driving factors of coupling and coordination between HQED and GSEB across various spatial scales from 2007 to 2020. Significant findings include (1) an overall increase in HQED efficiency across all spatial scales, accompanied by a decline in green technological progress (GTC); (2) a sustained growth trend in GSEB per hectare across the province, with the southeastern region, particularly Jincheng, leading; (3) a level of coordination between HQED and GSEB across the province that surpasses the preliminary stage, albeit with pronounced regional disparities, notably the lagging and unstable coordination in the southern regions; (4) significant driving effects of industrial “three wastes” and industrial transformation on the coordinated evolution between HQED and GSEB across all spatial dimensions, with notable impacts of innovation input–output in central, southern, and southeastern Shanxi. This research offers new strategic insights for the synergistic development of the economy and ecology in Shanxi Province and contributes novel theoretical foundations for formulating sustainable development policies globally.

Keywords: high-quality economic development; green total factor productivity; value of ecosystem services; sustainable development; coordinated development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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