An Empirical Study on Carbon Emission Efficiency of Animal Husbandry in China

Abstract

Since the Chinese government proposed the “dual carbon” target, the study of carbon emission efficiency has become a research focus in the academic community in China. However, experts and scholars have not focused on the animal husbandry industry, and there is a lack of literature on the research of carbon emission efficiency in animal husbandry. Based on national panel data from 2002 to 2020, this study uses a three-stage super-efficiency SBM-DEA model and the Malmquist index to examine the carbon emission efficiency of animal husbandry at the national level, four major economic zones, and 31 provinces, and analyze their evolution processes and trends. Empirical results show that: (1) There are significant differences in carbon emission efficiency among provinces. (2) The improvement of carbon emission efficiency in animal husbandry largely depends on the industrial scale rather than pure technological progress. (3) There is no absolute β -convergence phenomenon in the level of carbon emission efficiency in animal husbandry, and efficiency gaps will continue to exist over time. Finally, based on the empirical findings, this study puts forward important policy recommendations.