Utilizing natural resource efficiency at the core of green economic growth in the Anthropocene

The rapid industrialization and urbanization accompanying China's solid financial expansion have created urgent environmental challenges, such as resource depletion and ecological degradation. This research explores the significant influence of natural resource efficiency on China's economic growth between 1990 and 2020. Analyzing data using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model shows that sustainable economic growth and improved resource efficiency are positively correlated. A closer look at the data confirms the positive correlation between prudent use of natural resources and sustainable economic growth. The conclusions suggest that concerted efforts to increase resource efficiency, including policy changes and technological developments, have increased China's GDP and reduced the country's environmental impact. This study highlights the need for resource efficiency to be prioritized in the economic policies of countries experiencing rapid development, focusing on China.