Eco-Efficiency of the Governance–Production Nexus in the Yangtze River Delta: Measurement and Impact Mechanisms

This study constructs a network data envelopment analysis model to assess the eco-efficiency of the governance–production nexus, revealing traditional “black box” measurements’ internal processes. It uses data from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) for 2011–2023 to decompose eco-efficiency into government governance and production efficiencies, identifying the influencing factors and their mediating pathways using a random panel Tobit model. We found that: (1) Traditional “black box” measurements using a limited number of indicators tend to underestimate eco-efficiency. (2) Considering the governance–production nexus, the YRD’s eco-efficiency exhibits an evolutionary pattern of “initial decline–subsequent recovery–renewed decline.” Regional differences converged during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas they exhibited “polarization” characteristics during non-pandemic periods. (3) The average levels of government governance and production efficiencies are similar, indicating a relatively balanced contribution to eco-efficiency. (4) Unlike science and technology (S&T) expenditure, education expenditure, industrial structure upgrading, and economic density have significant positive effects on eco-efficiency. Mechanism identification reveals that education expenditure, industrial upgrading, and S&T expenditure affect eco-efficiency through the production process, whereas economic density operates through the government governance process. This study clarifies eco-efficiency levels and improvement pathways by revealing internal processes and distinguishing between the government governance and production stages.