Green transformation paths of resource-based cities in China from the configuration perspective

doi:10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100158

Abstract

Abstract:

Green transformation is an unavoidable choice for resource-based cities (RBCs) that face resource depletion and environmental pollution. Existing research has focused primarily on specific RBCs, making it challenging to apply green transformation strategies universally across cities. The fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses that can handle multiple concurrent causality problems and determine how different conditions combine into configurations and generate an outcome. Thus, to address this gap, in this study, we established a research framework for green transformation and utilized the fsQCA to examine the configurations of 113 RBCs in China. By incorporating the element of time, this study explored the dynamic evolution of solutions in 2013, 2016, and 2019. The main findings indicate that individual elements do not constitute the necessary conditions for improving the green transformation efficiency (GTE), and the systematic combination of multiple conditions is an effective path for realizing the improvement of the GTE in RBCs. Green transformation paths of RBCs exhibit the same destination through different paths. Additionally, the combination of system environment elements and system structure elements is both complementary and alternative. Differences in RBCs have led to various factor combinations and development paths, but there are some similarities in the key elements of the factor combinations at different stages. Economic environment, government support, and technological innovation are key factors that universally enhance the GTE in RBCs. These insights can assist city managers in formulating policies to drive green transformation and contribute to a better theoretical understanding of green transformation paths in RBCs.

Key words: Green transformation path, Green transformation efficiency, Resource-based cities, Configuration analysis, Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis(fsQCA)

GONG Qunxi. Green transformation paths of resource-based cities in China from the configuration perspective[J]. Regional Sustainability, 2024, 5(3): 100158.

Figures/Tables 7

Fig. 1.

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Conditional configuration analysis of green transformation."

Variable		Configuration
Variable		1	2a	2b	3	4	5	6
System environment	EE	●	$⊝$	$⊝$	●	$⨀$	$\otimes$	$⨀$
	TI	●	●	●	$\otimes$	$⨀$	$⊝$	$\otimes$
	GS	$⊝$	-	$⊝$	●	$⊝$	●	$\otimes$
	ME	$⊝$	$⊝$	-	$⊝$	●	●	$\otimes$
System structure	IS	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	●
	ES	-	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	$⊝$	●	$\otimes$	$\otimes$
	URS	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	$\otimes$	$⊝$	●	●	●
Consistency		0.8159	0.9157	0.8881	0.8433	0.8100	0.8220	0.8956
Raw coverage		0.0818	0.0975	0.1021	0.0428	0.0713	0.0571	0.0726
Unique coverage		0.0252	0.0154	0.0215	0.0266	0.0398	0.0422	0.0562
Overall solution consistency		0.8870
Overall solution coverage		0.3322

Table 4

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

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Region	Number of cities	City
Eastern region	19	Zhangjiakou, Chengde, Tangshan, Xingtai, Handan, Xuzhou, Suqian, Huzhou, Nanping, Sanming, Longyan, Dongying, Zibo, Linyi, Zaozhuang, Jining, Tai’an, Shaoguan, and Yunfu cities
Central region	37	Datong, Shuozhou, Yangquan, Changzhi, Jincheng, Xinzhou, Jinzhong, Linfen, Yuncheng, Lvliang, Suzhou, Huaibei, Bozhou, Huainan, Chuzhou, Ma’anshan, Tongling, Chizhou, Xuancheng, Jingdezhen, Xinyu, Pingxiang, Ganzhou, Yichun, Sanmenxia, Luoyang, Jiaozuo, Hebi, Puyang, Pingdingshan, Nanyang, Ezhou, Huangshi, Hengyang, Chenzhou, Shaoyang, and Loudi cities
Western region	38	Baotou, Wuhai, Chifeng, Hulun Buir, Ordos, Baise, Hechi, Hezhou, Guangyuan, Nanchong, Guang’an, Zigong, Luzhou, Panzhihua, Dazhou, Ya’an, Liupanshui, Bijie, Anshun, Qujing, Baoshan, Zhaotong, Lijiang, Lincang, Yan’an, Tongchuan, Weinan, Xianyang, Baoji, Yulin, Baiyin, Wuwei, Zhangye, Qingyang, Pingliang, Longnan, Shizuishan, and Karamay cities
Northeastern region	19	Fuxin, Fushun, Benxi, Anshan, Panjin, Huludao, Songyuan, Jilin, Liaoyuan, Tonghua, Baishan, Heihe, Daqing, Yichun, Hegang, Shuangyashan, Qitaihe, Jixi, and Mudanjiang cities.

Year	Variable	Mean	Standard deviation	Max	Min	Full membership	Cross-over point	Full nonmembership
2013	GTE	0.6668	0.2562	1.5008	0.3429	1.0000	0.5849	0.4775
	EE	44,310	38,660	256,877	8816	52,515	31,183	23,129
	TI	0.1633	0.1468	0.8608	0.0055	0.1854	0.1214	0.0725
	GS	0.2928	0.1489	0.9760	0.0001	0.3627	0.2619	0.1840
	ME	0.3738	0.1162	0.6684	0.1158	0.4436	0.3779	0.2866
	IS	0.6602	0.1670	0.9944	0.1511	0.7973	0.6665	0.5226
	ES	0.3966	0.0992	0.7153	0.1019	0.4537	0.4063	0.3377
	URS	0.5517	0.1574	0.9758	0.1228	0.6649	0.5639	0.4736
2016	GTE	0.6757	0.2930	1.5166	0.2599	1.0000	0.5536	0.4417
	EE	47,034	29,906	215,488	13,805	56,410	40,059	27,102
	TI	0.1239	0.1480	0.5926	0.0018	0.1471	0.0629	0.0224
	GS	0.3187	0.1506	1.0001	0.0540	0.4049	0.2937	0.2106
	ME	0.3640	0.1186	0.6922	0.1001	0.4277	0.3754	0.2861
	IS	0.6348	0.1785	0.9771	0.1948	0.7774	0.6473	0.5019
	ES	0.4140	0.1007	0.6337	0.1458	0.4761	0.4146	0.3621
	URS	0.4591	0.1644	0.9164	0.0601	0.5691	0.4684	0.3489
2019	GTE	0.8290	0.2179	1.2834	0.4256	1.0000	0.7733	0.6360
	EE	52,531	28,722	188,857	16,868	59,552	43,213	34,481
	TI	0.1374	0.1543	0.6108	0.0024	0.1748	0.0721	0.0259
	GS	0.3166	0.1493	0.9303	0.0254	0.3945	0.3152	0.2029
	ME	0.3191	0.1021	0.6317	0.0775	0.3702	0.3156	0.2626
	IS	0.6195	0.1746	0.9783	0.2097	0.7686	0.6163	0.4928
	ES	0.4370	0.0919	0.7250	0.0795	0.4903	0.4330	0.3944
	URS	0.4305	0.1676	0.9189	0.0361	0.5425	0.4408	0.3191

Condition	Consistency	Coverage	Condition	Consistency	Coverage
EE	0.5322	0.5701	~ME	0.5906	0.6193
~EE	0.5437	0.5549	IS	0.5262	0.5491
TI	0.5157	0.5546	~IS	0.5621	0.5887
~TI	0.5676	0.5771	ES	0.5044	0.5309
GS	0.5073	0.5222	~ES	0.5852	0.6075
~GS	0.5584	0.5928	URS	0.5215	0.5447
ME	0.4937	0.5145	~URS	0.5589	0.5847