Investigating and improving the ecological efficiency of urban agglomeration based on Super-SBM model

The management of ecological efficiency (eco-efficiency) is of great significance to promote the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. The objective of this research is to evaluate the eco-efficiency of urban agglomerations. Taking the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) as a case study, this study evaluated the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the eco-efficiency by using the Super-SBM model. Additionally, the factors that affect the efficiency fluctuations are analyzed by decomposing the Global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) index and the input-output redundancy rates are measured. The study additionally put forth a conceptual framework aimed at evaluating eco-efficiency within the context of urban agglomerations. The findings indicated that the eco-efficiency of the YRDUA had not reached the effective level with noticeable variations across different regions. The resource redundancy of the YRDUA was severe and negatively correlated with eco-efficiency. Environmental pollution was the primary cause of efficiency loss. Technological progress was the main driving factor of regional total factor productivity (TFP), but technical efficiency still needed to be improved. Therefore, it is urgent for the YRDUA to improve the efficiency of its industrial structure and foster the harmonious growth of various sectors, in order to achieve the sustainable utilization of natural resources and the preservation of the ecological environment.