City-level assessment of green economy development and its driving factors: empirical evidence from 14 prefecture-level cities in Guangxi, China based on DPSR-GTWR integrated model

Developing the green economy is a fundamental requirement for China’s new development stage, aimed at applying new concepts, building new patterns, and achieving high-quality growth. Guangxi, as a vital engine of China’s green economy, strongly supports this process. This study establishes a green economy evaluation system for Guangxi using the DPSR model, applies the entropy weight-TOPSIS and obstacle degree models to assess its development from 2012 to 2022, and identifies key obstacles. It further analyzes the spatial–temporal heterogeneity of nine major factors through OLS and GTWR models. Findings reveal that Guangxi’s green economy is progressing with a “dual-core” pattern centered on Nanning and Liuzhou, faces significant pressures mainly from the pressure and state dimensions, and experiences varying impacts from key factors across regions and over time. These insights offer theoretical foundations and policy recommendations to improve Guangxi’s green economic development.