Synergy of ecological environment quality and economic development at industrial park level

Industrial Park is a part of urban development and plays an indispensable role in promoting regional economic development. However, the high consumption of resources and the concentrated emission of pollution pose a great threat to the ecological balance and human health. Therefore, the future of industrial park needs to be balanced with economic growth while realizing resource conservation and environmental improvement as much as possible. However, there is still a research gap in analyzing the relationship between ecological environment quality (EEQ) and economic development (ED) at the industrial park scale. This paper first constructs the new remote sensing ecological index (RSEInew) model to measure the EEQ of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) from 2000 to 2020. Then this study constructs an ED index system to evaluate its economic situation. Finally, this paper utilizes the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model and the coupled coordination degree (CCD) model to deeply analyze the relationship between EEQ and ED. The results show that: (1) The average annual growth rate of EEQ in SIP is −1.50 %, with a general downward trend. Over the past 20 years, the ecological environment of SIP has not deteriorated extensively. (2) The ED of SIP is steady and rising, with an average annual growth rate of 10.17 %. (3) From 2000 to 2020, the EKC between EEQ and the ED of the SIP takes on an inverted “N” shape, with its CCD rising from barely coordinated to highly coordinated. This study can provide a reference for studying the quality development of areas at the industrial park level.