Spatial convergence and transfer path of atmospheric emission efficiency: An empirical analysis from China

With the rapid economic growth, people's need for environment and atmospheric qualities is getting higher. The Chinese government is taking active measures to deal with it, and the scientific evaluation of atmospheric emission efficiency is necessary for atmospheric environment management. Concerning this reason, this paper uses the non-radial DEA model and the PS (Phillips and Sul) convergence test to study the atmospheric emission efficiency and spatial convergence characteristics in China and analyzes the changing trends and transfer path of atmospheric emission efficiency from a dynamic perspective. We conclude that (1) the overall level of atmospheric emission efficiency in China is low, and further improvement can be done; (2) there is a positive relationship between atmospheric emission efficiency and regional economic development; (3) there are obvious characteristics of unbalanced distribution and regional distribution of atmospheric emission efficiency; (4) the transfer path of atmospheric emission efficiency shows a decreasing trend year by year, which indicates that China's atmospheric environment is gradually being improved. These findings show some directions for the atmospheric environment management in China and can help the cities to deal with atmospheric pollution management issues.