How to accurately evaluate and effectively improve the performance of provincial green development in China? An improved integrated method

Evaluating and improving the performance of green development (GD) is essential for the government to formulate sustainable development policies. This study first analyzes the connotation and structures of GD from systemic perspective. Secondly, based on the two-stage eco-inefficiency (TE) model, non-cooperative theory, the correlation coefficient and standard deviation, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method (fsQCA), an improved integrated method, i.e., ITNE-fsQCA, is proposed. Thirdly, the validity and accuracy of ITNE-fsQCA are verified using the data from 30 Chinese provinces in 2020, and the results are compared with those obtained from TE and two-stage non-cooperative eco-inefficiency (TNE). Finally, the driving types and configuration pathway are discussed based on ITNE-fsQCA. The results show that: (1) compared to TE and TNE, ITNE-fsQCA helps to avoid the overestimation/underestimation of inefficiency in complex systems; (2) there are 8 configuration pathways that can effectively improve GD performance in 30 Chinese provinces in 2020, and these pathways are categorized into 4 driving types; (3) the enhancement of green technology innovation plays a crucial role in provincial sustainable development; and (4) the provincial GD inefficiencies in China are manifest various combinatorial forms. These findings provide the government with innovative ideas and methodologies for formulating sustainable development policies.