Enhancing eco-efficiency in China’s construction industry: measurement, drivers, and policy implications using an EBM–Tobit approach

China’s construction industry plays a critical role in economic development but is also a major source of resource consumption, environmental degradation, and carbon emissions. Achieving sustainable growth in this sector requires robust methods to assess eco-efficiency and identify its structural determinants. This study advances the scientific assessment of construction eco-efficiency by developing an enhanced EBM model that integrates both radial and non-radial input-output characteristics, undesirable outputs such as CO₂ emissions, and super-efficiency evaluation. The model was applied to 30 provinces from 2010 to 2019, demonstrating superior robustness and discriminatory power compared to traditional CCR and SBM models. To explain regional variations in eco-efficiency, a Tobit panel regression incorporating institutional, economic, industrial, and technological variables was conducted. Empirical results reveal that regional economic development, clean energy adoption, and the growth of auxiliary industries such as design and consulting significantly enhance eco-efficiency. In contrast, outdated technologies and rigid environmental regulations constrain improvements. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, including promoting flexible, outcome-based regulation, incentivizing technological innovation, and supporting upstream construction services to foster sustainable industry transformation. This study contributes novel scientific knowledge on measuring, explaining, and improving construction eco-efficiency by combining methodological refinement with empirical analysis. It establishes a framework.