Title: Conditional eco-efficiency measure from the perspective of pollution emission firms

Authors: Feng Yang, Sheng Ang, Liang Liang, Dujun Zhai

Addresses: School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, He Fei, An Hui Province 230026, China. ' School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, He Fei, An Hui Province 230026, China. ' School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, He Fei, An Hui Province 230026, China. ' School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, He Fei, An Hui Province 230026, China

Abstract: This paper proposes a conditional eco-efficiency measure with constraints to profit and pollution goals from the perspective of pollution emission firms. The measure is obtained not only by comparing the relative performance to other decision-making units (DMUs), but also by comparing the existing level relative to expected profit and pollution goals. We use the proposed measure to appraise the eco-efficiency of 32 paper mills along the Huai River in China, and discuss the sensitivity of eco-efficiency with some varying parameters. Different from the previous eco-efficiency measures, our technique admits the selfish motives of pollution emission firms which have little motivation to minimise the pollution emission. As a result, the current approach can be accepted by pollution emission firms for providing feasible strategies in performance improvement.

Keywords: DEA; data envelopment analysis; eco-efficiency; sustainable society; pollution emissions; emission trading; sensitivity analysis; environment protection; China; Huai River; environmental pollution; sustainability; sustainable development; pollution emitters; paper mills.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2011.041268

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2011 Vol.3 No.3, pp.276 - 291

Published online: 08 Apr 2015 *

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