Green total factor productivity of China's mining and quarrying industry: A global data envelopment analysis

China's mining and quarrying industry is characterized by “high pollution, high energy consumption, and high emissions.” Improving this sector's green total factor productivity (TFP) is of great importance for furthering the sustainable development of China's economy. Using a global data envelopment analysis (DEA), this paper analyzes the green TFP of China's mining and quarrying industry for the period of 1991-2014 with regard to technology, scale, and management. The following results are found. First, during the sample period, the green TFP of China's mining and quarrying industry increased by 71.7%. Technological progress was the most important contributor, and the decline in scale efficiency and management efficiency were two inhibitors. Fortunately, in recent years, management efficiency has gradually improved and become a new impetus for green TFP growth. Second, the characteristics of the green TFPs in the sub-industries vary considerably. During the sample period, the green TFPs of the mining and processing of ferrous metal ores (MPFMO), the mining and processing of non-ferrous metal ores (MPNFMO), and the mining and processing of nonmetal ores (MPNO) grew rapidly and became the benchmarks, whereas those of the mining and washing of coal (MWC) and the extraction of petroleum and natural gas (EPNG) remained very low. Third, the returns to scale of the sub-industries also varied. EPNG, MPNFMO, MPNO were in the stage of increasing returns to scale or constant returns to scale during the entire period, whereas MWC and MPFMO have recently entered the stage of decreasing returns to scale.