Assessing energy efficiency towards carbon emissions in Yangtze River Economic Belt from a configurational perspective

Xiaonan Gao; Yixin Sun; Weiping Cui; Zhanjie Liu; Zihao Xie; Rongjia Song; Zhen Li; Xiaonan Gao; Yixin Sun; Weiping Cui; Zhanjie Liu; Zihao Xie; Rongjia Song; Zhen Li

doi:10.3934/environsci.2026021

AIMS Environmental Science

2026, Volume 13, Issue 3: 508-527. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2026021

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Research article

Assessing energy efficiency towards carbon emissions in Yangtze River Economic Belt from a configurational perspective

1.
State Grid Energy Research Institute CO., LTD., Beijing 102209, China
2.
School of Management, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
3.
School of Management, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China

Received: 29 April 2026 Revised: 16 June 2026 Accepted: 25 June 2026 Published: 30 June 2026

Green economy has been attracting attention around the world. The "dual carbon" policy has been proposed to emphasize the pursuit of high-quality economy in China, and improving energy efficiency is considered an effective way to achieve this strategic target. Moreover, the Yangtze River Economic Belt acts as the principal carrier for China's economic development; therefore, analyzing the energy efficiency is crucial. Three phases constituted the analysis in this paper: a) Using the LDA topic model to conduct the evaluation system of energy efficiency based on the "dual carbon" policy texts; b) using the SBM-Undesirable model to measure the energy efficiency of 11 provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt between 2011 and 2020; and c) using the fsQCA method to further analyze the configurational impact of influential factors on the energy efficiency of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Through systematic research, the evolving trends within the Yangtze River Economic Belt could be examined from two perspectives. Chronologically, energy efficiency within the region exhibited fluctuating development patterns. From a geographical perspective, overall energy efficiency exhibited a tiered distribution pattern of "downstream > midstream > upstream", indicating that the midstream and upstream sectors possessed greater potential for improvement compared to the downstream sector. Therefore, four configuration paths that affect energy efficiency were finally identified toward achieving the "dual carbon" target.
- energy efficiency,
- carbon emissions,
- fsQCA,
- SBM-Undesirable model,
- LDA
Citation: Xiaonan Gao, Yixin Sun, Weiping Cui, Zhanjie Liu, Zihao Xie, Rongjia Song, Zhen Li. Assessing energy efficiency towards carbon emissions in Yangtze River Economic Belt from a configurational perspective[J]. AIMS Environmental Science, 2026, 13(3): 508-527. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2026021

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Abstract

Green economy has been attracting attention around the world. The "dual carbon" policy has been proposed to emphasize the pursuit of high-quality economy in China, and improving energy efficiency is considered an effective way to achieve this strategic target. Moreover, the Yangtze River Economic Belt acts as the principal carrier for China's economic development; therefore, analyzing the energy efficiency is crucial. Three phases constituted the analysis in this paper: a) Using the LDA topic model to conduct the evaluation system of energy efficiency based on the "dual carbon" policy texts; b) using the SBM-Undesirable model to measure the energy efficiency of 11 provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt between 2011 and 2020; and c) using the fsQCA method to further analyze the configurational impact of influential factors on the energy efficiency of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Through systematic research, the evolving trends within the Yangtze River Economic Belt could be examined from two perspectives. Chronologically, energy efficiency within the region exhibited fluctuating development patterns. From a geographical perspective, overall energy efficiency exhibited a tiered distribution pattern of "downstream > midstream > upstream", indicating that the midstream and upstream sectors possessed greater potential for improvement compared to the downstream sector. Therefore, four configuration paths that affect energy efficiency were finally identified toward achieving the "dual carbon" target.

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