Objective Counties are key spatial units for implementing the new-type urbanization and the "dual carbon" strategies, and their spatiotemporal evolution and driving mechanisms of carbon emission efficiency are crucial for addressing the green transformation challenges in resource-based regions. Methods Based on multi-source heterogeneous data from 102 counties in Shanxi Province from 2012 to 2023, this study employed a Super-SBM model with undesirable outputs to measure carbon emission efficiency. It then integrated the Dagum Gini coefficient, exploratory spatiotemporal data analysis (ESTDA), the XGBoost-SHAP interpretable machine learning model, and panel quantile regression to systematically analyze the spatiotemporal patterns, regional disparities, dynamic transitions, and nonlinear driving mechanisms of carbon emission efficiency. Results 1) Spatiotem-porally, carbon emission efficiency exhibited a stable distribution pattern of "high in the north and south, low in the central" with phased increases, with high-efficiency areas gradually agglomerating in the core zones of urban agglomerations and areas along the Yellow River. 2) Regional disparities primarily originated from inter-group differences and super-variable density, exhibiting a fluctuating process of "divergence-convergence-re-divergence", with persistent spatial imbalance. 3) Global and local spatial analyses indicated that carbon emission efficiency had significant positive spatial autocorrelation and path dependence. LISA time paths and spatiotemporal transitions revealed that southern and southwestern Shanxi were active zones of local structural changes, showing evident signals of state transitions and restructuring. 4) The driving mechanisms exhibited significant nonlinearity and quantile heterogeneity. Economic density and land use efficiency had positive promoting effects on carbon emission efficiency with threshold effects, while population density and fiscal expenditure intensity generally acted as negative constraints. The positive effects of new-type urbanization and industrial structure upgrading were more pronounced in medium- and high-efficiency counties. Conclusion The study reveals the complex adaptive mechanisms of county-level low-carbon development in resource-based regions. The spatiotemporal heterogeneity and threshold effects of the driving factors indicate that future efforts require the formulation of differentiated and precise emission reduction policies to synergize high-quality county-level development with the "dual carbon" goals.
从总体格局看,2012—2015年、2015—2018年、2018—2021年与2021—2023年4个阶段均以I型占主导,表明山西县域碳排放效率的局部空间关联结构具有显著的路径依赖与惯性,也为全局 Moran′s I 长期为正提供微观层面的支撑。与此同时,不同阶段跃迁的发生规模与空间集中度呈清晰的阶段差异。2012—2015年跃迁县域相对更多,且在省域南部与西南部形成更突出的集聚带,表明该期间县域的局部空间关系处于更频繁的调整过程。2015—2018年跃迁仍主要沿上述活跃带延续,并在省域东南缘及中部出现一定数量的点状分布;2018—2021年跃迁总体收敛,但在省域西部带状区域及北部局部仍可观察到连续分布;至2021—2023年,跃迁县域进一步减少并趋于零星化,空间结构整体走向相对稳定。总体而言,“前期跃迁较多-后期跃迁收敛”的演进过程,说明县域的局部空间关联经历由相对活跃的结构调整向稳定锁定的阶段性回归。
HeJingshi, ChenYongjun, ChenHaoyang, et al. Sci-Tech finance, digital economy and high-quality development of regional economy: Empirical evidence from 273 cities in China[J].Humanities and Social Sciences Communications,2025,12(1):e1425.
ChenMingxing, YeChao, LuDadao, et al. Cognition and construction of the theoretical connotation for new-type urbanization with Chinese characteristics[J].Acta Geographica Sinica,2019,74(4):633-647.
[4]
国家新型城镇化规划[N].人民日报,2014-03-17(9).
[5]
National new-type urbanization plan[N]. People′s Daily,2014-03-17(9).
[6]
庄贵阳.我国实现“双碳”目标面临的挑战及对策[J].人民论坛,2021(18):50-53.
[7]
ZhuangGuiyang. Challenges and countermeasures for China to achieve the goal of "double carbon"[J].People′s Tribune,2021(18):50-53.
RenYufei, FangChuanglin. Spatial pattern and evaluation of eco-efficiency in counties of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration[J].Progress in Geography,2017,36(1):87-98.
RenXiaosong, LiuYujia, ZhaoGuohao. The impact and transmission mechanism of economic agglomeration on carbon intensity[J].China Population,Resources and Environment,2020,30(4):95-106.
YuanWeiyan, FangLiuli, LuoMing. Driving factors of China′s industrial carbon emissions and their decoupling effect: Decomposition and calculation of C-D production function based on time-varying parameters[J].Resources Science,2022,44(7):1422-1434.
XiaoDongyang, LuoYuhong, LiMingqiu, et al. Scale effects and driving factors of spatiotemporal evolution of carbon emission efficiency: A case study of Henan Province[J].Journal of Natural Resources,2025,40(11):3073-3095.
[16]
LuHua, GongJiahong. The impact of sci-tech finance on urban carbon emission efficiency: Evidence from 281 cities in China[J].Journal of Cleaner Production,2025,536:e147207.
[17]
ParkG, KimD. Regional carbon emission efficiency analysis and factor decomposition: Cases from South Korea[J].Energy Reports,2025,13:903-913.
[18]
WangWeixin, YinXukang, WangChenguang, et al. Urban expansion and agricultural carbon emission efficiency: The moderating role of land property rights stability[J].Journal of Cleaner Production,2025,486:e144488.
DuYaming, BaiYongping, LiangJianshe, et al. Comprehensive measurement and influencing factors of carbon emission efficiency of tourism in the Yellow River basin[J].Arid Land Geography,2023,46(12):2074-2085.
SunYanfang, ZhangYuanyuan, ZhaoYi. Spatial correlation network structure of carbon emission efficiency in urban agglomerations of the Yellow River basin and its influencing factors[J].Economic Geography,2025,45(7):77-84.
LiuKang, ZhangHan, WangLing, et al. Research on the influencing mechanism of new-type urbanization on land use carbon emission efficiency: Taking the Loess Plateau as an example[J].China Land Science,2024,38(7):109-119.
[25]
ZhouJiabei, MaHaitao, WangShaojian. Household consumption carbon emissions under different urbanization levels: A study based on micro-survey data[J].Cities,2025,158:e105630.
FengYidai, YuanHuaxi, LiuYaobin. Mechanisms for improving urban energy use efficiency in China′s new-type urbanization construction[J].China Population,Resources and Environment,2023,33(5):138-148.
ShangJuan, LiaoZhenzhen. Influence of new urbanization on green total factor productivity[J].Statistics and Decision,2021,37(5):116-119.
[30]
SongXinyan, WangChengyue, LiuWenxin. Does urbanization affect the carbon-output efficiency of agriculture? Empirical evidence from the Yellow River basin[J].Agriculture,2024,14(2):e245.
WangXinjing, ChengYu. Research on the influencing mechanism of urbanization on carbon emission efficiency: Based on an empirical study of 118 countries[J].World Regional Studies,2020,29(3):503-511.
TianYun, ZhangHuijie. Spatial-temporal pattern and spatial differentiation mechanism of agricultural carbon emission efficiency in China[J].Social Science Journal,2024(2):172-182.
[35]
WangYue, LuoYuyan, WangZhong, et al. Exploring the spatial-temporal evolution and driving mechanism of air pollution and carbon emission synergistic efficiency in Chinese 281 prefecture-level cities[J].Energy,2026,342:e139629.
ZouLilin, LinCheng, WangJianying, et al. Spatio-temporal characteristics and optimization path of land use equity between urban and rural areas in China[J].Acta Geographica Sinica,2025,80(11):2847-2868.
LiuMin, ChenYinrong, WangJue, et al. The spatial association network and driving factors of land use carbon emission efficiency in China: An investigation in the national major strategic regions[J].Resources Science,2024,46(12):2462-2476.
HuHaichuan, JinXueran, BaiCuiling. Research on the evolution trend of carbon emission efficiency and influencing factors of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei tourism industry[J].Ecological Economy,2026,42(1):76-84.
WangWeijie, YuYang, SunLingxiao, et al. Prediction model of water requirements for main crops in typical oases in arid areas based on XGBoost[J].Arid Land Geography,2025,48(12):2087-2098.
[44]
ZhangMingzhi, ZhouDian, XuDuo, et al. How do built environment factors influence urban heat islands across local climate zones? Evidence from an interpretable XGBoost-SHAP model[J].Sustainable Cities and Society,2026,136:e107078.
ChenMinghua, GengShuwei, LiYating, et al. Trend of change and influencing factors of total factor ecological welfare performance in the Yellow River basin[J].Progress in Geography,2025,44(9):1925-1937.
LiuHailong, DingYanan, WangYuefei, et al. Analysis of temporal-spatial correlation and spatial effect between urbanization and ecosystem services in Shanxi Province[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2022,36(1):124-134.
LiChen, WuYingmei, GaoBinpin, et al. Local and tele-coupling coordination of urbanization and ecosystem health in the central Yunnan urban agglomeration[J].Economic Geography,2025,45(4):157-167.
LiuHailong, WangGaiyan, ZhangPenghang, et al. Spatio-temporal evolution and coordination influence of coupling coordination between new urbanization and ecological resilience in Fenhe River basin[J].Journal of Natural Resources,2024,39(3):640-667.
GaoYajie, ChenCheng. Coupling and coordination pattern and influencing factors of digital economy development and new urbanization in Yangtze River economic belt[J].Statistics and Decision,2025,41(21):116-121.
YangRongmei, ZhouHong, ZhangYanni, et al. Tourism ecological security assessment in Hexi Corridor region based on entropy weight TOPSIS method and fuzzy matter-element model[J].Arid Land Geography,2024,47(1):117-126.
[59]
HeYu, ZhangYulan, DengJiaxin. Path to sustainable development: The effect of China′s innovative industrial clusters pilot policy on prefecture-level cities′ green total factor productivity[J].Journal of Cleaner Production,2024,478:e143988.
CuiQize, ZhangZhongwu. Spatio-temporal variation characteristics and driving factors of ecosystem service values in the middle reaches of the Yellow River basin[J].Journal of Shanxi Agricultural University (Natural Science Edition),2025,45(5):125-136.
ZhangZhongwu, WangQian, QiJiayao, et al. Tourism-ecology-public service coordinated development in the Yellow River basin and its influencing factors[J].Journal of Desert Research,2025,45(6):1-11.
[64]
山西省统计局,国家统计局山西调查总队.山西统计年鉴[M].北京:中国统计出版社,2013.
[65]
Shanxi Provincial bureau of statistics. Shanxi statistical yearbook[M].Beijing:China Statistics Press,2013.
[66]
国家统计局农村社会经济调查司.中国县域统计年鉴[M].北京:中国统计出版社,2013.
[67]
Rural social economic survey department of the national bureau of statistics. China county statistical yearbook[M].Beijing:China Statistics Press,2013.
[68]
国家统计局能源统计司.中国能源统计年鉴(2013)[M].北京:中国统计出版社,2013.
[69]
Energy statistics department of the national bureau of statistics. China energy statistical yearbook (2023)[M].Beijing:China Statistics Press,2013.