Government intervention, industrial structure, and energy eco-efficiency: an empirical research on new energy demonstration in cities

Abstract This study investigates the relationships among government intervention, industrial structure, and energy eco-efficiency (EE). Energy eco-efficiency was measured based on a non-radial directional distance function for 236 cities in China from 2005 to 2019. Additionally, the difference-in-difference model (DID) method and spatial econometric models were used to analyse the impact of government intervention and industrial structure on energy eco-efficiency and their spatial spill-over effects. Government intervention includes fiscal expenditures and policy orientation for new energy demonstration construction. Our results indicate that: China’s EE has a fluctuating upward trend and increased 17.85% in the period, and its spatial distribution imbalance gradually developed into a regional distribution balance. Moreover, government intervention and adjustment of the industrial structure improved urban energy eco-efficiency by 7.43% and 0.92%, respectively, which also has spatial spill-over effects in neighbouring regions. Furthermore, economic development, technological innovation, and foreign direct investment enable EE. However, urbanisation hinders the improvement of energy eco-efficiency. Finally, heterogeneity analysis showed that the policy of the new energy demonstration city has better effects on eastern and western cities in promoting EE.