Assessing Green Economy Efficiency in Türkiye and BRICS Countries Using Multi-Criteria Data Envelopment Analysis

This study evaluates the relative green economy efficiency of the BRICS countries and Türkiye for the period 2015–2022 using a Multi-Criteria Data Envelopment Analysis (MCDEA) framework under the assumption of Constant Returns to Scale. The model incorporates two inputs—renewable energy consumption and ecological footprint—and two outputs—GDP per capita and life expectancy—to capture the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of performance. Efficiency is assessed using three criteria (min d₀, minimax, and minsum), each reflecting different aspects of how environmental and energy-related inputs are converted into socioeconomic outcomes. The results reveal substantial heterogeneity across the BRICS-T economies. Under the more restrictive minimax criterion, China lies on the efficiency frontier for five consecutive years (2018–2022), while Türkiye attains full efficiency in four years and ranks second overall. India is fully efficient under the minsum criterion throughout the period, although its minimax scores indicate periods of instability. Brazil and Russia exhibit comparatively lower efficiency levels, whereas South Africa shows the most volatile performance. Given the limited sample size, these findings should be interpreted as indicative relative efficiency outcomes rather than definitive measures of green economy performance. Within this context, the results suggest that higher renewable energy shares alone do not guarantee greater green economy efficiency. Rather, the findings suggest that efficiency may depend on how effectively environmental pressures and energy structures are transformed into welfare-enhancing socioeconomic outcomes, highlighting the potential importance of integrated policies that combine renewable expansion with improvements in energy efficiency, technological capability, and inclusive development.