| Abstract |
Evaluating the metabolic efficiency of the circular economy system of urban agglomeration is an important breakthrough to analyse the crux of urban disease. From the perspective of energy metabolism, this study developed a methodological framework to evaluate the metabolic efficiency of the Beijing-Tianjing-Hebei urban agglomeration during 2005-2007 using the slacks-based measure (SBM) of super-efficiency model and Malm-quist index (MI) model, in which urban metabolic efficiency is decomposed into economic efficiency and environmental efficiency. Research results are listed as follows. (1) As the energy input increases, the demand for non-local transfers of energy also increased increases. The energy consumption structure of the agglomeration's terminal sectors improved gradually, despite continuous increases in total pollutants from its energy metabolism. (2) Other than the gradual rise after 2012, the overall metabolic efficiency was relatively low. Trends in economic and comprehensive efficiency were essentially synchronised, but the former was higher than the latter. Tianjin had the highest comprehensive and economic efficiency, and Beijing had the highest environmental efficiency during 2005-2017, whereas other cities in Hebei ranked the lowest in all measures of efficiency. (3) The MI increased during 2005-2017, primarily through technological progress. Since 2011, the increase in metabolic efficiency of the agglomeration gradually came from scale benefits. (4) The main reason for metabolic inefficiency was inadequate GDP output, followed by emission of metabolic pollutants. Results for the period suggest that policymakers can improve metabolic efficiency by attracting eco-friendly industries of urban agglomeration, accelerating scientific and technological innovation, continuing to improve economic efficiency, enhancing coordinated control of pollution and moderately increasing population. |
