Empirical Study on the Low-Carbon Economic Efficiency in Zhejiang Province Based on an Improved DEA Model and Projection

Low-carbon economic efficiency is an important indicator that can be used to measure the quality of regional economic development. In this study, an improved DEA model is introduced into the calculation of low-carbon economic efficiency in Zhejiang Province. Using the actual data of nine prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2020, the low-carbon economic efficiency of each prefecture-level city is calculated. The result is that the overall low-carbon economic efficiency of Zhejiang Province indicates a trend of first falling and then rising, and the low-carbon economic efficiencies of different prefecture-level cities largely differ. The causes of six inefficient DMUs (prefecture-level cities) are analyzed using projection. The improved DEA model is used to determine the “expansion coefficient” of the input and output of three DMUs (prefecture-level cities) with relatively low-carbon economic efficiency. The research results provide a strong basis and support for the development of a low-carbon economy for Zhejiang Province.