The green innovation efficiency of Chinese cities: regional differences, distribution dynamics, and convergences.

In this study, based on measuring green innovation efficiency (GIE), the regional differences, distribution dynamics and convergences of GIE among 284 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2020 were investigated. It was found that: (1) the GIE showed a decreasing regional difference within and between the eight economic zones and among the whole sample population, with the intensity of transvariation making the major contribution to the differences; (2) the GIE across the country and the eight economic zones appeared to rise slowly, showing a certain level of polarization within the zones, but the gap and polarization tended to narrow gradually on the whole, except for the Northwest Economic Zone; (3) the GIE across the country and among the eight economic zones presented prominent convergences. It was conducive to enrich the research contents and methods of green innovation and provide references for green innovation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]