Considering the impact of geographic location and climate on China’s environmental efficiency based on a meta dynamic non-radial DDF

In China, struggling to balance environmental protection and economic growth is fundamental for the transformation of economic growth model in future. This research uses the dynamic DEA model and incorporates it into non-radial DDF. Then, the research estimates the provincial environmental performance in China during the observation period. Taking into account technological heterogeneity, in this study, the evaluated provinces are divided into two groups (temperate region and tropical and subtropical regions). The empirical findings reveal the following. (1) Most of the provinces have considerable room for enhancement in environmental performance. (2) The environmental performance of provinces in temperate regions is obviously worse than that of those in the tropical and subtropical regions. (3) Provinces in temperate region should improve environmental efficiency by reducing both their technology gap and managerial inefficiency compared to those in the tropical and subtropical regions. Considering in future that China’s population will continue to shift from inland areas to coastal areas, especially large coastal cities, each province should take targeted policies to improve environmental performance according to their own situation.