Regional differences and catch-up analysis of energy efficiency in China’s manufacturing industry under environmental constraints

For coordinated regional growth and the development of high-quality manufacturing, China must narrow its regional energy efficiency gap and catch up inter-regionally. This paper focuses on whether China’s inter-provincial manufacturing energy efficiency has technological diffusion and a catch-up effect and explores its possible influencing factors, which are important for narrowing the differences in China’s manufacturing energy efficiency and promoting the improvement of the overall level of efficiency. Between 2011 and 2020, 30 Chinese manufacturing industries will be evaluated using a non-radial distance function model under environmental conditions. By employing the Dagum Gini coefficient method, regional disparities were analyzed, with hyper-variable density and efficiency discrepancies between regions making a noteworthy contribution. This paper evaluated a catch-up effect by constructing a frontier productivity model that considered the influence of China’s manufacturing energy efficiency. Results show a general rise in energy efficiency, particularly in coastal regions, higher than inland ones. The Gini coefficient of energy efficiency in manufacturing experienced a slight increase; however, when comparing it to the regional efficiency frontier, the catch-up effect and technology diffusion effect of China’s provincial manufacturing energy efficiency become more pronounced when taking into account the national efficiency frontier; the sub-regional manufacturing energy efficiency catch-up effect has different performances; the catch-up and technology diffusion effect is more evident after controlling for Economic development, innovation levels, the environmental regulation, and the proportion of high-energy-consumption output value and other influencing factors. © The Author(s) 2024.