Green efficiency evaluation and improvement of Chinese ports: A cross-efficiency model

Abstract With the current global environmental degradation and energy consumption demands, people are placing great emphasis on studying green ports, including ways to evaluate their green efficiency. However, few studies exist that both quantitatively evaluate the port’s green efficiency and consider the competition and cooperation among them. This study introduces a new development mode for port groups: ‘intra-group cooperation and out-group competition’, which considers the competition and cooperation among ports. Moreover, from a quantitative perspective, the green efficiency of 18 ports in China’s five port groups are compared from 2012 to 2016 using the game cross-efficiency and the competition and cooperation cross-efficiency models in a data envelopment analysis (DEA). Furthermore, the factors that influence the ports’ green efficiency are analysed using a Tobit regression model, revealing that the green efficiency of Chinese ports are generally low, with numerous problems existing in the ports’ green development process. Compared with the current competitive development model among ports, our development model proposed is more conducive to improving the green efficiency of Chinese ports. Moreover, we find that economic development, industrial structure, port throughput (passenger and foreign trade), and regional openness can improve the ports’ green efficiency, while nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur oxides (SOX) emissions from ports have a significant negative impact. Finally, to address problems in the green development of ports, a series of green development strategies are proposed to better promote their green development.