The paper focuses on the quantitative assessment of the environmental performance trends of 30 provincial regions in China in 2004-2013 based on an established methodology, including the changing trends of the provincial environmental performance, the relationship between the environmental performance and the economic development level of the provincial regions, the key factors that influence the provincial environmental performance, and the spatial heterogeneity distribution patterns of the provincial environmental performance index. It is shown that the China's provincial environmental performance sees a certain fluctuation, overally with a progress trend; the spatial distribution patterns of the environmental performance see a gradient trend with the eastern part better than that of the central part, and the central part better than the western part. The ecological protection performance index score is the weak part of the eastern region. And it is suggested that the central and western regions should promote the urbanization, strengthen the river management, emphasize the implementation of the eco-environmental planning, improve the resource utilization efficiency, and increase the environmental investment.

provincial level  /  environment performance evaluation  /  methodology  /  dynamic evaluation  /  spatial characteristics