LAUSR

Received: 28 January 2020 Accepted: 6 April 2020 This paper sets up an evaluation index system for total factor energy efficiency (TFEE), and measures the 2000-2017 TFEEs of the 11 provinces (municipalities) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). After analysing the regional differences in YREB TFEE, the beta convergence model (BCM) was introduced to empirically explore the convergence of the YREB TFEE. The results show that: The YREB provinces (municipalities) differed greatly in TFEE. Among them, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Yunnan achieved the optimal TFEEs in the sample period; Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, and Sichuan realized relatively good TFEEs; Jiangxi and Guizhou did not output desirable TFEEs, leaving ample room for improvement. There were significant TFEE differences between the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the YREB. The three regions can be ranked as downstream, midstream, and upstream in descending order of the TFEE. The YREB TFEE exhibited significant absolute beta convergence. The midstream TFEE had the fastest absolute convergence speed, followed in turn by the upstream TFEE and the downstream TFEE. The addition of control variables improved the conditional convergence speeds of YREB TFEEs. Except energy structure (ECS), the control variables, including economic level (PGDP), foreign trade (TRD), environmental regulation (ERS), and urbanization rate (URB), exerted major impacts on the YREB TFEE. The impacts varied from region to region. The research results provide a good reference for energy saving and emission reduction in the YREB.