Total-factor air environmental efficiency and its influencing factors in the areas along the Belt and Road in China: A spatial spillover perspective

In order to promote sustainable economic development in the areas along the Belt and Road in China, it is of great necessity to reduce the negative impact of air pollutants resulting from industrialization and urbanization on the complex and fragile ecological environments of neighboring areas. First, this study estimated the total-factor air environmental efficiency (TFAEE) of 17 provinces along the Belt and Road in China from 2010 to 2017 using a slacks-based measure (SBM) model. Second, the global and local Moran indices were used to test the spatial correlations between TFAEEs. Finally, the spatial factors and spatial spillover effects influencing the TFAEEs were investigated using the spatial Durbin model with spatiotemporal double fixed effects. The results were shown as follows: (1) The total-factor TFAEEs of the areas along the Belt and Road were low and showed significant regional spatial differences during 2010-2017. (2) There was a positive spatial autocorrelation between the TFAEEs of the areas along the Belt and Road, and the spatial distribution generally clustered into High-High and Low-Low concentrations. (3) Economic development and technological innovation played significantly positive effects on TFAEEs of the areas in the Belt and Road, while energy consumption structure had negative effect on it. In addition, although industrial structure and environmental regulation were negatively correlated with TFAEEs, the coefficients were not significant. (4) The positive spatial spillover effect of the TFAEEs of the areas along the Belt and Road was mainly the result of significant environmental regulations and insignificant economic development factors, while the technological innovations, energy consumption structures and industrial structures showed insignificant negative spatial spillover effects.