How China Measures City Green Competitiveness: A Comprehensive Indicator Framework

Based on economic growth and national competitiveness theories, and incorporating green growth concepts, the research team designed a comprehensive Chinese city green competitiveness index system, drawing on the OECD green growth evaluation framework and the World Economic Forum’s national competitiveness indicators.

The system evaluates four dimensions: economic foundation and technological progress, natural assets and environmental pressure, resource and environmental efficiency, and policy response and social welfare. The first dimension reflects a city’s economic strength and innovation drivers, forming the primary “economy” pillar.

The “resource‑environment” pillar is split into two first‑level indicators—natural assets and environmental pressure, and resource‑environment efficiency—to capture both the city’s inherent resource conditions and the efficiency of resource use during economic activity.

The “policy response and social welfare” dimension measures governmental and societal investment in the environment and residents’ quality of life, representing the “social” pillar.

After multiple expert consultations, the final index comprises four first‑level indicators, eight second‑level indicators, and forty‑four third‑level indicators. Weighting emphasizes the resource‑environment pillar over the economy and social pillars, with detailed weight allocation derived through a reverse‑calculation method.

Guan Chenghua, Han Jing. “China City Green Competitiveness Index Report”.