A Study of Well-Being-Based Eco-efficiency Based on Super-SBM and Tobit Regression Model: The Case of China

In the context of industrialized green reform, people pursue sustainable development and improved well-being rather than mere economic development. Decision-makers in the government should therefore prioritize adjusting people’s livelihoods to the green economy and ecological environment. In this study, we developed a comprehensive livelihood well-being index using data from 31 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2020, which was then innovatively incorporated into an eco-efficiency assessment system. Furthermore, the well-being-based eco-efficiency development status of four economic regions was investigated. The eco-efficiency was measured using the non-desired output Super-SBM (slack-based measure) model, and the dynamic evolution trend was examined using the Malmquist–Luenberger index. The spatial variability was analyzed based on the Dagum–Gini coefficient, and the Moran index was used to study the spatial agglomeration phenomenon. Finally, a random effects panel Tobit model was utilized to analyze the determinants influencing well-being-based eco-efficiency from a national and regional perspective, respectively. The results revealed that the western region has improved and advanced significantly in recent years. Although China has made great technological advancements, its technology is underutilized. Additionally, inter-regional variances were the main drivers of spatial differences in eco-efficiency.