Understanding the spatial evolution of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is critical for promoting high-quality and sustainable development in China. Our contribution is that we construct a comprehensive provincial ESG evaluation framework and measures the dynamic changes and spatial heterogeneities of ESG levels across 31 provinces from 2007 to 2023. Using entropy-weighted aggregation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and panel clustering techniques, the research reveals three main findings. First, from 2007 to 2023, the regional disparities in ESG levels first narrowed and then widened, showing an overall fluctuating but expanding trend. Compared with 2007, the differences in ESG levels across regions increased by 35.491% in 2023. Second, substantial regional heterogeneities persist: eastern provinces consistently outperform central and western regions, while emerging growth patterns appear in certain inland provinces driven by green investment and institutional reforms. Regional ESG levels in 2023 increased by 178.769% in comparison to 2007. Third, ESG components evolve unevenly across provinces, with environmental indicators showing high variability and governance indicators playing an increasing role in shaping overall provincial ESG performance. The proportion of regions at or above the mean is 46.67%, while those below the mean account for 53.33%. Among the 30 provinces and municipalities, Guangdong has the lowest ESG level (–0.871), followed by Henan (–0.643), Shandong (–0.554), Anhui (–0.540), and Guizhou (–0.484). These findings highlight the need for differentiated ESG governance strategies, enhanced institutional coordination, and targeted support for developing regions to narrow ESG gaps and foster balanced sustainable development in China.
Li et al. (Mon,) studied this question.