Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in China

Abstract Urban green innovation (UGI) is seen as a powerful mechanism to address issues of global warming and environmental sustainability. In China, the experimental nature of UGI is evident, and it relies on intergovernmental relations such as central government leadership and policy transfer from...

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Main Authors: Lei Li, Xiaoyu Ma, Yifan Zheng, Shaojun Ma, Jian Zuo, Michael Goodsite
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08883-6
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author Lei Li
Xiaoyu Ma
Yifan Zheng
Shaojun Ma
Jian Zuo
Michael Goodsite
author_facet Lei Li
Xiaoyu Ma
Yifan Zheng
Shaojun Ma
Jian Zuo
Michael Goodsite
author_sort Lei Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Urban green innovation (UGI) is seen as a powerful mechanism to address issues of global warming and environmental sustainability. In China, the experimental nature of UGI is evident, and it relies on intergovernmental relations such as central government leadership and policy transfer from local governments. However, studies on urban green innovation efficiency (UGIE) from the perspective of intergovernmental relationships remains insufficient. This paper uses the Super-EBM and DDF-SBM models to measure UGIE. Based on fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), necessary condition analysis (NCA) and robustness testing, it explores the complex relationships path of intergovernmental relationships on promoting the UGIE. The results of this paper show that intergovernmental relations, digital economy, urban business environment and industrial transfer are not necessary conditions for UGIE. Four configuration paths are derived from the complex configuration perspective: vertical intervention in the digital economy green transformation mode, vertical intervention to promote green efficiency improvement mode, local government business environment and digital economy synergy driving mode, and horizontal cooperation to promote green total factor efficiency conversion mode. This paper explores the “achievement of the same goal” allocation relationship between central government intervention and local government coordination on the UGIE, and the findings are novel for the studies of intergovernmental relations that are intertwined horizontally and vertically.
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language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
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spelling doaj-art-5c1b8868c1c94fa69f6ea76e7ad738072025-08-20T03:38:12ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-08883-6Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in ChinaLei Li0Xiaoyu Ma1Yifan Zheng2Shaojun Ma3Jian Zuo4Michael Goodsite5College of Management and Economics, Tianjin UniversityCollege of Management and Economics, Tianjin UniversityCollege of Management and Economics, Tianjin UniversitySchool of International Education, Tianjin UniversitySchool of Architecture and Civil Engineering, The University of AdelaideDivision of Research and Innovation, The University of AdelaideAbstract Urban green innovation (UGI) is seen as a powerful mechanism to address issues of global warming and environmental sustainability. In China, the experimental nature of UGI is evident, and it relies on intergovernmental relations such as central government leadership and policy transfer from local governments. However, studies on urban green innovation efficiency (UGIE) from the perspective of intergovernmental relationships remains insufficient. This paper uses the Super-EBM and DDF-SBM models to measure UGIE. Based on fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), necessary condition analysis (NCA) and robustness testing, it explores the complex relationships path of intergovernmental relationships on promoting the UGIE. The results of this paper show that intergovernmental relations, digital economy, urban business environment and industrial transfer are not necessary conditions for UGIE. Four configuration paths are derived from the complex configuration perspective: vertical intervention in the digital economy green transformation mode, vertical intervention to promote green efficiency improvement mode, local government business environment and digital economy synergy driving mode, and horizontal cooperation to promote green total factor efficiency conversion mode. This paper explores the “achievement of the same goal” allocation relationship between central government intervention and local government coordination on the UGIE, and the findings are novel for the studies of intergovernmental relations that are intertwined horizontally and vertically.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08883-6Urban green innovation efficiencyIntergovernmental relationsFsQCANCAConfiguration path
spellingShingle Lei Li
Xiaoyu Ma
Yifan Zheng
Shaojun Ma
Jian Zuo
Michael Goodsite
Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in China
Scientific Reports
Urban green innovation efficiency
Intergovernmental relations
FsQCA
NCA
Configuration path
title Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in China
title_full Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in China
title_fullStr Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in China
title_full_unstemmed Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in China
title_short Facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in China
title_sort facilitating urban green innovative efficiency from intergovernmental perspective in china
topic Urban green innovation efficiency
Intergovernmental relations
FsQCA
NCA
Configuration path
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08883-6
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