Analyzing Regional Disparities in China’s Green Manufacturing Transition

Xuejuan Wang (), Qi Deng, Riccardo Natoli, Li Wang, Wei Zhang and Catherine Xiaocui Lou ()
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Xuejuan Wang: School of Economics and Management, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun 130119, China
Qi Deng: School of Economics and Management, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun 130119, China
Riccardo Natoli: Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
Li Wang: School of Economics and Management, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun 130119, China
Wei Zhang: Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania, Newnham, TAS 7248, Australia
Catherine Xiaocui Lou: Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: China has identified the high-quality development of its green manufacturing transition as the top priority for upgrading their industrial structure system which will lead to the sustainable development of an innovation ecosystem. To assess their progress in this area, this study selects the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021 and constructs an evaluation index system for the green transformation of the manufacturing industry from four dimensions: environment, resources, economy, and industrial structure. This not only comprehensively and systematically reflects the dynamic changes in the green transformation of the manufacturing industry but also addresses the limitations of currently used indices. The entropy value method is used to calculate the comprehensive score of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry, while the key factors influencing the convergence of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry are further explored. The results show that first, the overall level of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry has significantly improved as evidenced by an approximate 32% increase. Second, regional differences are significant with the eastern region experiencing significantly higher levels of transformation compared to the central and western regions, along with a decreasing trend from the east to the central and western regions. From a policy perspective, the findings suggest that tailored production methods for each region should be adopted with a greater emphasis on knowledge exchanges to promote green transition in less developed regions. In addition, further regulations are required which, in part, focus on increasing the degree of openness to the outside world to promote the level of green manufacturing transition.

Keywords: manufacturing industry; green manufacturing transition; entropy method; regional heterogeneity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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