International inequality of environmental pressures: Decomposition and comparative analysis

Natural resource scarcity is no longer merely a remote possibility and governments increasingly seek information about the global distribution of resource use and related environmental pressures. This paper presents an international distributional analysis of natural resource use indicators. These encompass both territorial (national production) and footprint (national consumption) indicators for land-related pressures (human appropriation of net primary production, HANPP, and embodied HANPP), for material use (domestic material extraction and consumption and material footprint), and for carbon emissions (territorial carbon emissions and carbon footprints). Our main question is “What, both from a territorial and a footprint perspective, are the main driving factors of international environmental inequality?”. We show that, for the environmental indicators we studied, inequality tends to be higher for footprint indicators than for territorial ones. The exception is land use intensity (as measured by HANPP), for which geographical drivers mainly determine the distribution pattern. The international distribution of material consumption is mainly a result of economic drivers whereas, for domestic extraction, demographic drivers can explain almost half of the distribution pattern. Finally, carbon emissions are the environmental pressure that shows the highest international inequality because of the larger contribution of economic drivers.     

Drivers of land use efficiency and trade embodied biomass use of Finland 2000–2010

Globally human pressure on the biosphere is increasing, in spite of increases in land use efficiency. The pressure consists of land use and potential degradation. Human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) is emerging as an indicator, which combines the dual aspects of biomass use and land degradation. Recently HANPP has been used to map the increasing dependence of European countries on biomass imports and the conflicting processes of increased yields and increased consumption. However large overview studies could be complemented with indepth analysis into the causes of changes in individual countries and economic sectors. This allows the analysis of the macroeconomic drivers of change and the responses in sectors to these drivers. In this study we decomposed the HANPP of Finland including imports for the years 2000–2010 using IPAT and applied input-output analysis to look at sectoral land use efficiency in that time period. Finland is a country with intensive biomass trade, and with a very high per capita HANPP. During the study period the sum of domestic and embodied in imports HANPP of the Finnish economy decreased from 76 Mt C/a to 62 Mt C/a (−1% annually on average), while the HANPP related to imports increased from 12 Mt C/a to 14 Mt C/a. The overall trend was that of declining exports and increasing domestic consumption. Of the economic sectors wood harvesting and processing dominated HANPP results, followed by residential construction, animal production and energy supply. In terms of HANPP, most of these decreased, but housing and energy production increased considerably from 2002 to 2010. At the macroeconomic level domestic biomass use per unit of value added decreased (−2.2%/a) as did the amount of HANPP per unit of biomass (−1.1%/a) reflecting increased economic efficiency in land use. In contrast, GDP/capita (+1.3%/a), population (+0.4%) and the share of outsourced HANPP (+0.6%) resulted in increased consumption-based HANPP (from 21 Mt C in 2002 to 27 Mt C in 2010). Our results underline the importance of including international trade and consumption in interpreting overall change in regional HANPP.     

惠州市可持续发展的生态足迹分析

生态足迹方法是一种定量衡量人类对自然资源的利用程度以及自然界为人类提供生命支持服务功能的新方法。以惠州市2002年基础数据为依据进行计算分析,得出惠州市2002年人均生态足迹为1.335hm²,人均生态承载力为0.610hm²,人均生态赤字为0.725hm²。从出现生态赤字的角度来看,惠州市目前人地关系呈现紧张趋势,结合生态足迹多样性指数、生态承载力发展度以及万元GDP生态足迹等指标对惠州市可持续发展状态进行综合评价表明:与广东省和全国平均水平相比,惠州市在资源利用上效率较高,其发展潜力相对较强。     

Analysis of over-consumption of natural resources and the ecological trade deficit in China based on ecological footprints

China has experienced unprecedented economic development in recent years and is now facing severe challenges caused by the over-consumption of resources and by ecological and environmental degradation. To assess the influence of resource exploitation and ecological trade, we have developed an index of excessive resource consumption based on the concepts of ecological deficit and ecological over-shoot, and we have used the ecological trade deficit to assess the pressure created by the export and import of resources and products. Our analysis indicated that China's consumption footprint surpassed its biocapacity in 1983, leading to an ecological deficit, and the production footprint surpassed its biocapacity in 1986, leading to an ecological over-shoot, as the over-consumption of natural resources grew. By 2010, 3.6 times the current area of bioproductive land was needed to provide sufficient resources to meet the consumption. China has been encouraging the development of exporting enterprises by implementing a series of financial and tax incentives, which have stimulated the economy in the short-term but have gradually increased the ecological trade deficit since 2000.     

基于数据包络分析的江苏省水资源利用效率

采用水足迹理论分析江苏省2000-2010年水资源的真实利用情况,同时从投入产出的角度出发,选取农业用水量、工业用水量、生活用水量、COD排放总量、固定资产投资总额和从业人员数作为投入指标,GDP和粮食产量作为产出指标,运用数据包络分析中的C2R和BC2模型对这11a间江苏省的水资源利用效率进行评价.研究表明:2010年江苏省的水足迹为778.28m3,总体呈缓慢上升趋势.农业用水、工业用水和虚拟水贸易是江苏省水资源利用中的主要组成部分.11a间DEA有效年份占64％,投入冗余和产出不足均为0,即投入和产出达到最优状态.在DEA无效年份中存在冗余,存在资源浪费和污染高排放的情况.可以通过DEA投影结果对其进行改进,实现资源的最优配置.     

基于生态系统服务理论的中国绿色经济转型预测分析

着眼于中国绿色经济转型之路的科学预测与分析,借鉴传统环境负荷模型以及资源与经济脱钩理论、区位熵理论等,提出基于生态系统服务理论的有关绿色经济指标评价模型。应用该模型计算出2001—2010年全球及中国有关绿色经济指标,依照未来中国经济与社会发展规划目标,预计"十二五"末期中国经济发展中的资源消耗及环境损失成本、人均绿色GDP将分别达到3.11×1012美元、0.37×104美元,生态负荷强度、资源脱钩指数及绿色GDP的区位熵指数分别为0.38、0.66、75;2020年中国绿色GDP的区位熵指数将超越全球平均水平、2024年人均GDP将突破1万美元关口步入中等发达国家行列。计算结果表明中国生态系统压力逐年降低、资源利用效率、环境绩效与经济效益同步提高,逐渐在全球经济绿色转型过程中发挥重要作用;未来,中国仍需秉承"共同但有区别的责任"原则,处理好与其他国家的权责纷争;同时积极推进节能减排、经济结构调整工作,进一步协调好城乡之间、区域之间经济社会发展与自然资源及生态环境的关系。     

Local ecological footprint using Principal Component Analysis: A case study of localities in Andalusia (Spain)

The quantity and quality of available information is one of the major constraints for the calculation of the ecological footprint, particularly for sub-national or sub-regional territorial levels. At the national or even regional level, the information that allows for computing the ecological footprint is generally available. However, when trying to calculate the footprint for lower-level territorial realities (e.g., cities or municipalities), this information is insufficient or non-existent. In this article, we propose an indirect method for calculating the ecological footprint of such territorial spaces through Principal Component Analysis. The case study utilises the ecological footprint of Andalusia (a Spanish region) as a starting point for footprint assignment to each of the 771 municipalities included in the Andalusian region. A set of variables related to the consumption levels in these municipalities has been utilised and is expressed in physical units. These variables make it possible to obtain a weighting factor to determine the ecological footprint of each municipality. This procedure also makes it possible to identify which variables or indicators have the greatest impact on the ecological footprint for a given territory. According to the results, the method also shows how inappropriate it is to consider the population as a way to distribute the ecological footprint; there are relevant differences between the weight of the population in municipalities and their generated footprint. There are also significant differences between the magnitude of economic indicators, such as GDP, and the estimated ecological footprint; for municipalities with higher income levels, the ecological impact is more than proportional to the weight of the monetary indicators.     

基于能值改进的开放系统生态足迹模型及其应用——以深圳市为例

对生态经济复合系统综合评价是实现区域可持续发展首先要面对的科学问题.针对传统生态足迹模型的系统封闭性和空间互斥性等不合理假设,利用从系统论出发并具有基于流量算法优点的能值分析理论,对传统生态足迹模型加以改进,同时将人类劳务纳入系统评价.改进后的模型仍然从供给与需求角度分析区域消费足迹与承载力,强调区域资源进出口,分析开放系统条件下区域发展状况,并将人类的作用纳入可持续发展评价范畴.以深圳市2006年发展状况为例对改进模型进行实证分析.计算结果显示:研究区域具有48.08ghm2的人均潜在生态承载力;在生物生产账户上存在3.60ghm2的人均生态赤字,需进口来弥补,而在工业产品账户上3.14ghm2的人均盈余,可供出口;具有约4.87ghm2的人均净承载力出口,为其他区域的发展做出了贡献;人力资源是深圳市可持续发展的重要保障,至少提供相当5.20ghm2的人均生态承载力;发展高新技术产业、低能耗的清洁工业,产出高能值转换率的产品,实现区域本地产品在能量系统等级的提升,是提升本地承载力的现实途径.结果表明,改进后模型突破了传统生态足迹模型偏生态的弱可持续性评价局限,成为综合反映区域生态经济发展状况的可持续性评价模型.     

Decoupling – shifts in ecological footprint intensity of nations in the last decade

The ecological price of economic growth is a heavily debated issue, where ideologies often neglect factual information. In this paper, through the relationship of the ecological footprint and GDP, we examine the tendencies of eco-efficiency in the first decade of the 21st century. We conclude that the average ecological footprint intensity of countries have improved significantly in the given period. In 2009, 50 percent less area was needed to produce a unit of GDP. Many countries could reach the so-called strong decoupling − these countries could increase GDP while decreasing the ecological footprint in absolute terms. We also repeated the analysis of a scientific article published in 2004. We managed to update data and identify ecologically positive tendencies. In ten years, the average of the world’s ecological footprint intensity has significantly improved, it halved all in all. We found that 90 percent of the countries started to move to the direction of sustainable development. Among the studied 131 countries, 40 experienced strong decoupling (absolute decrease of resource use), in 77 countries weak decoupling occurred (relative decrease of resource use), and there were only 14 countries, where no decoupling could be observed (relative increase of resource use).     

Socioeconomic indicators for sustainable design and commercial development of algal biofuel systems

Social and economic indicators can be used to support design of sustainable energy systems. Indicators representing categories of social well‐being, energy security, external trade, profitability, resource conservation, and social acceptability have not yet been measured in published sustainability assessments for commercial algal biofuel facilities. We review socioeconomic indicators that have been modeled at the commercial scale or measured at the pilot or laboratory scale, as well as factors that affect them, and discuss additional indicators that should be measured during commercialization to form a more complete picture of socioeconomic sustainability of algal biofuels. Indicators estimated in the scientific literature include the profitability indicators, return on investment (ROI) and net present value (NPV), and the resource conservation indicator, fossil energy return on investment (EROI). These modeled indicators have clear sustainability targets and have been used to design sustainable algal biofuel systems. Factors affecting ROI, NPV, and EROI include infrastructure, process choices, and financial assumptions. The food security indicator, percent change in food price volatility, is probably zero where agricultural lands are not used for production of algae‐based biofuels; however, food‐related coproducts from algae could enhance food security. The energy security indicators energy security premium and fuel price volatility and external trade indicators terms of trade and trade volume cannot be projected into the future with accuracy prior to commercialization. Together with environmental sustainability indicators, the use of a suite of socioeconomic sustainability indicators should contribute to progress toward sustainability of algal biofuels.     

水足迹研究进展

水为生命之源,水资源的合理分配与科学管理是区域可持续发展与流域综合管理的核心环节;水足迹作为一种全面核算人类活动对水资源真实占用的综合指标,将人类消费终端与水资源利用密切关联,为维护流域水资源安全、提高区域水资源利用效率提供了重要的科学依据,已成为当前国际水资源管理的前沿研究领域。在明确水足迹及水资源生态足迹相关概念的基础上,对比分析了水足迹与生态足迹、水资源生态足迹模型的异同,明晰了过程、产品及区域等不同研究对象的水足迹核算方法,系统梳理了产品和区域水足迹评价、基于水足迹的区域水资源安全研究、区域水足迹可持续性分析等水足迹主要研究内容的近今进展,并展望了进一步的重点研究方向,即水足迹综合研究、水足迹评价不确定性分析、水足迹与物质流核算的关联研究,以及基于足迹整合的可持续发展多维测度等。     

Land Use Change in India (1700–2000) as Examined through the Lens of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity

Land use caused by human socioeconomic activities is a driver of change in the global environment. To understand and quantify land‐use change on Earth's natural systems, interdisciplinary approaches linking biophysical and socioeconomic parameters are required. One approach to understand the degree of terrestrial colonization of the biosphere is using the human appropriation of net primary productivity (HANPP). HANPP is defined as the difference between the net primary productivity (NPP) of potential vegetation and the actual NPP for a given area of land. Here, we use HANPP as a lens to examine land‐use change in India from 1700 to 2007 using a spatially explicit data set that extends over this period. We also used the nongridded, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data set to calculate HANPP for India from 1961 to 2012 and compared our results. The average potential NPP for India was estimated to be 664 grams of carbon per square meter per year (g C/m²/year). Between 1700 and 2012, the fraction of pastureland and cropland increased from 20% to almost 60%. HANPP as a fraction of the potential NPP increased from 29% to 73% over this period. Calculations of HANPP using the FAO data set yielded an increase from 600 g C/m² to just over 700 g C/m² between 1961 and 2012. We also calculated the embodied HANPP of India by considering imports and exports, but the difference between the two is negligible in comparison to the HANPP of India. We further examined the variation of HANPP with socioeconomic parameters such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and population density. There was a roughly negative trend of HANPP with HDI. HANPP roughly increases with population density and then plateaus above a population density of roughly 200 persons per square kilometer.     

基于土地利用的粤港澳大湾区生态系统服务价值及承载力演变分析

研究粤港澳大湾区土地利用、生态系统服务价值及承载力的时空演变特征是优化大湾区生态系统管理、提升生态质量的重要依据。当前针对大湾区的土地利用变化过程、生态系统服务价值及生态承载力相结合的系统分析仍较少。系统研究了快速城市化背景下粤港澳大湾区的土地利用变化、生态系统服务价值及生态承载力变化。基于高分辨率遥感数据分析粤港澳大湾区1990-2015年土地利用变化及特征,采用当量法评估大湾区的生态系统服务价值,基于生态足迹法评估大湾区的生态承载力变化。结果表明：1990-2015年大湾区内建设用地增加,耕地、林地、湿地及未利用地面积逐渐减少;建设用地的增加主要来源于耕地、林地、水域及未利用地等的转化。伴随着剧烈的土地利用变化,大湾区的生态系统服务价值从1990年的6385.09亿元减少到2015年6183.89亿元,减少了3.15%。大湾区的生态承载力总体稳定,但由于消耗增加,整体呈现生态赤字,人均生态赤字达3.09 hm²。未来大湾区土地利用规划中,需加强自然资源保护,合理调整土地结构,实现经济和生态的可持续发展。     

基于生态足迹的大学食堂餐具生态影响分析

以生态足迹为定量分析方法,以广州大学食堂为例,分析计算了一次性餐具和公用餐具对生态环境的影响,并比较分析了各种型号的餐具生态足迹.分析了一次性餐具和公用餐具生产过程中的原料消耗及能耗.广州大学食堂所用的餐具主要为塑料制餐具、不锈钢餐具、木制和竹制筷子.消耗的资源主要为钢铁、乙烯、木材和竹材等,可归于化石能源地足迹和林地足迹.调查了公用餐具洗涤过程中的资源消耗,主要为洗涤过程中的水电消耗以及废水处理能耗,可归于化石能源地足迹和可耕地足迹.最后结合学校食堂餐具的使用方案,计算了一次性餐具和公用餐具(以1a为限)的生态足迹.研究表明,公用餐具组合的足迹为3.7236×10-3gm2(全球平方米,记为gm2),使用竹筷的一次性餐具组合足迹为2.2085×10-2 gm2,使用木筷一次性餐具组合足迹为9.3781×10-2gm2.公用餐具足迹是一次性餐具的3.97%～16.8%.此外,由于竹筷的足迹是木筷23.55%,因此使用竹筷能大大降低一次性餐具对生态的影响.     

城市化对区域生态足迹的影响及其耦合关系

城市系统与区域生态系统间存在着复杂的相互影响,分析二者的交互耦合关系,可以客观地反映区域生态协调发展程度,为区域城市化发展提供科学依据。在修正城市生态足迹模型的基础上,计算了2000—2015年昆明市三维生态足迹动态,并建立了城市化综合评价指标体系,探讨生态足迹模型变化的驱动因子,构建城市化与生态耦合模型并测算其协调度。结果表明:过去15年间,昆明市土地利用类型的流转加剧、建设用地比例提升、经济增长和社会进步指标反映出城市化水平逐年提高;自然资源消耗增加和污染排放加剧使得人均生态足迹逐年上升。研究初期,人均生态承载力下降态势明显,后逐渐有所上升,生态赤字逐年减小,资源压力有所减轻。生态足迹广度基本不变、生态足迹深度先上升后下降、资源的利用效率逐年增加,其主要驱动因素在于社会层面的高质量城市化发展与经济产业结构调整。昆明市生态足迹与城市化耦合水平及协调度均呈逐年稳定上升,于2015年基本过渡到协调阶段;生态承载力与城市化耦合水平及协调度均呈波动上升态势,这与城市化负向作用逐渐积累、集中凸显相关。总体上,昆明市城市化进程中,需要提升城市化发展质量,管控城市扩张规模。     

西南岩溶区广西生态安全及资源利用效率

构建了基于生态足迹理论的生态安全综合评价模型,然后基于生态安全评价指标,把数据驱动下动态计量经济学的单位根检验和与协整分析模型引进到生态安全与资源利用效率之间的动态均衡关系的研究中来。以西南岩溶区广西为例,首先采用生态足迹理论方法来测算1990～2003年广西生态安全的生态足迹、生态承载力、生态盈亏及生态压力指数,然后采用动态计量的协整分析方法对广西区域资源利用效率与生态安全状况诸指标之间的长期关系进行了协整分析。结果显示,广西生态足迹呈不断增加趋势,生态承载力呈不断下降趋势,出现了严重的生态赤字,生态足迹压力增幅明显,从临界安全状态发展到不安全状态;资源利用效率不高与生态安全指标之间呈现一种长期稳定的趋势,这表明岩溶区广西的资源利用效率不高,生态安全形势不容乐观,需要及时采取应对策略与措施加以调控。     

生态足迹深度和广度:构建三维模型的新指标

追踪自然资本存量消耗与流量占用是当前可持续发展研究的核心议题.系统阐述了国际上新近提出的生态足迹三维模型的概念与计算方法,重点对足迹深度和足迹广度两个指标进行了探讨,总结了模型的主要优势,并通过引入资本流量占用率和存量流量利用比两个新指标对模型作进一步完善,在此基础上实证分析了1961-2006年的中国生态足迹.结果表明,中国自 1978年步人生态赤字时代以来,足迹深度增长了近2倍,足迹广度减少了11.84％,因自然资本流量不足导致资本存量大幅肖耗已成为社会发展常态.到2006年时,中国需要2.9倍的国土才能持续支撑其资源消费量.研究表明,三维模型分别从时空两方面表征了人类对资本存量的消耗(足迹深度)和对流量的占用(足迹广度),增强了生态足迹在不同区域、不同时期之间的可比性,并在一定程度上克服了经典模型的评估缺陷.最后指出了三维模型今后发展的主要方向.     

重庆市直辖以来生态足迹的动态测度与分析

生态足迹是近来测度生态可持续发展的一种定量方法。以重庆统计年鉴为主要数据来源,对重庆市1997-2004年的生态足迹进行了时间序列的测度。结果表明,2004年重庆市的人均生态足迹为1.2108hm^2,实际生态承载力为0.4696hm^2,人均生态赤字为0.7412hm^2。从1997-2004年人均生态足迹逐年增加,人均生态承载力逐年减少,导致人均生态赤字逐年增大,对外来资源的依赖性越来越大。利用灰色预测模型进行了预测,2009年人均生态赤字将达到0.8695hm^2,并在此基础上提出了减少生态赤字的一系列措施。     

黑河流域中游地区净初级生产力的人类占用

基于Miami模型,对黑河流域中游净初级生产力的人类占用（HANPP）及其与生态系统多样性的关系进行了研究,并对HANPP与生态足迹（EF）指标在可持续发展评估方面的价值进行了比较.结果表明：HANPP的提高将降低生态系统多样性,研究区现状年的平均HANPP率为38.61%,肃州区和甘州区的HANPP已超过生态系统潜在生产能力的极限;结合气候变化和社会经济发展状况进行分析,未来40年黑河流域中游生态系统将面临更大压力.与生态足迹（EF）相比,HANPP更适于从生态系统功能变化角度评估区域发展的可持续性.     

Comparing the Ecological Impacts of Wind and Oil & Gas Development: A Landscape Scale Assessment

Energy production in the United States is in transition as the demand for clean and domestic power increases. Wind energy offers the benefit of reduced emissions, yet, like oil and natural gas, it also contributes to energy sprawl. We used a diverse set of indicators to quantify the ecological impacts of oil, natural gas, and wind energy development in Colorado and Wyoming. Aerial imagery was supplemented with empirical data to estimate habitat loss, fragmentation, potential for wildlife mortality, susceptibility to invasion, biomass carbon lost, and water resources. To quantify these impacts we digitized the land-use footprint within 375 plots, stratified by energy type. We quantified the change in impacts per unit area and per unit energy produced, compared wind energy to oil and gas, and compared landscapes with and without energy development. We found substantial differences in impacts between energy types for most indicators, although the magnitude and direction of the differences varied. Oil and gas generally resulted in greater impacts per unit area but fewer impacts per unit energy compared with wind. Biologically important and policy-relevant outcomes of this study include: 1) regardless of energy type, underlying land-use matters and development in already disturbed areas resulted in fewer total impacts; 2) the number and source of potential mortality varied between energy types, however, the lack of robust mortality data limits our ability to use this information to estimate and mitigate impacts; and 3) per unit energy produced, oil and gas extraction was less impactful on an annual basis but is likely to have a much larger cumulative footprint than wind energy over time. This rapid evaluation of landscape-scale energy development impacts could be replicated in other regions, and our specific findings can help meet the challenge of balancing land conservation with society’s demand for energy.