Eco-efficiency estimation with quantile stochastic frontiers: Evidence from the United States.

This paper based on quantile stochastic frontier framework constructs quantile eco-efficiency measures. Using the estimates from the quantile stochastic frontier, the eco-performance of the U.S. states for nitrogen oxides (NO X), carbon dioxide (CO 2), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) emissions is evaluated. A decoupling analysis involving the evaluation of the nonsynchronous change among states' economic output and environmental degradation levels is also performed. The findings suggest that U.S. states have followed a decoupling process among their GDP and emission levels over the period 1990–2017. In addition, a quantile eco-productivity change estimator is presented alongside with its main components (i.e. quantile eco-technical change and quantile eco-efficiency change). Our findings suggest that over the examined period states' eco-productivity levels have been improved driven both from their eco-technical and eco-efficiency change levels. • We examine regional eco-efficiency across the US states. • We examine regional eco-productivity across the US states. • We employ a quantile stochastic frontier analysis. • We employ a decoupling analysis among U.S. states' GDP and emissions levels. • We find that eco-productivity levels was driven by eco-technical change levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]