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Measuring Eco-efficiency of Production: A Frontier Approach

Author

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  • Mika Kortelainen

    (University of Joensuu, Department of Business & Economics)

  • Timo Kuosmanen

    (Wageningen University, Environmental Economics & Natural Resources Group)

Abstract

Eco-efficiency of production is an important concept both from the viewpoint of society and business community; but as yet, there is no unambiguous way to its measurement. The purpose of this paper is to present a general measurement framework based on production theory and the activity analysis approach. Although we exploit the existing methods and techniques, our approach diverges essentially from the usual treatments of the environmental performance of firms in the productive efficiency analysis. The main difference between our approach and the earlier studies is that we build on the definition of eco-efficiency as the ratio of economic value added to the environmental damage index. Related to this orientation, we also approach eco-efficiency from a more aggregate perspective. Our general framework is illustrated by an empirical application to the evaluation of eco-efficiency of road transportation in Finland.

Suggested Citation

  • Mika Kortelainen & Timo Kuosmanen, 2004. "Measuring Eco-efficiency of Production: A Frontier Approach," Econometrics 0411006, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpem:0411006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mika Kortelainen & Timo Kuosmanen, 2007. "Eco-efficiency analysis of consumer durables using absolute shadow prices," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 57-69, October.
    2. Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes & Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J., 2015. "Assessing environmental performance trends in the transport industry: Eco-innovation or catching-up?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 570-580.
    3. Azad, Md Abdus Samad & Liem, Monica & Ancev, Tihomir & Lee, Lisa Yu-Ting, 2008. "Measuring Environmental Performance of Irrigated Cotton Enterprises," 2008 Conference (52nd), February 5-8, 2008, Canberra, Australia 6004, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    4. Mwambo, Francis Molua & Fürst, Christine & Nyarko, Benjamin K. & Borgemeister, Christian & Martius, Christopher, 2020. "Maize production and environmental costs: Resource evaluation and strategic land use planning for food security in northern Ghana by means of coupled emergy and data envelopment analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    5. Francisco Gildemir Ferreira Silva, 2022. "Brazilian railways separability infrastructure/operations: investigation by production indicators," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(7), pages 1-25, July.
    6. Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J. & Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes & Gómez-Limón, José A., 2012. "Assessing eco-efficiency with directional distance functions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 220(3), pages 798-809.
    7. Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J. & Castillo-Giménez, Juana & Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes, 2014. "An intertemporal approach to measuring environmental performance with directional distance functions: Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 173-182.
    8. Kounetas, Konstantinos E. & Polemis, Michael L. & Tzeremes, Nickolaos G., 2021. "Measurement of eco-efficiency and convergence: Evidence from a non-parametric frontier analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 291(1), pages 365-378.
    9. Manello, Alessandro, 2017. "Productivity growth, environmental regulation and win–win opportunities: The case of chemical industry in Italy and Germany," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 262(2), pages 733-743.
    10. Kortelainen, Mika, 2008. "Dynamic environmental performance analysis: A Malmquist index approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 701-715, February.
    11. Stergiou, Eirini & Kounetas, Konstantinos, 2022. "Heterogeneity, spillovers and eco-efficiency of European industries under different pollutants’ scenarios. Is there a definite direction?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Eco-efficiency; Environmental Pressures; Aggregation; Benefit of the Doubt Weighting; Distance Function; Activity Analysis; Data Envelopment Analysis; Road transportation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • Q00 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - General
    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis

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