Abstract: Amid a growing global emphasis on sustainable development and resource efficiency, understanding the core determinants of green total factor production efficiency holds paramount importance for fostering environmentally conscious economic growth. This paper aims to analyze green total factor production (GTFP) and core indicators that could restrict or increase efficiency. The panel data of 285 Chinese cities were selected to construct the unexpected output-ultraefficiency SBM model of the consumption of energy and environmental pollution from 2003 to 2019, first using the GML index for measuring and decomposing the GTFP, subsequently using spatial autocorrelation analysis, and finally using the Tobit model for scrutinizing the key determinants. The findings allow concluded that the GTFP showed a stable trend between 2004 and 2019. However, there were still large differences, and there were certain spatial agglomeration characteristics. The spatial evolution characteristics showed obvious characteristics of "low/high in the west/east accordingly" at the urban level The spatial correlation shows a dynamic change of first weakening and then increasing; the economic foundation, use of energy, and environmental pollution will seriously affect the GTFP.

Keywords: ultra-efficiency SBM model; GML index; spatial autocorrelation; Tobit model

JEL codes: Q01; Q56; Q57

DOI: ...