Spatial distribution pattern of embodied natural resources use in China and its relationship with socioeconomic development: From an exergetic perspective

Mufan Zhuang, Ziyan Gao, Yong Geng and Shijiang Xiao

Resources Policy, 2022, vol. 79, issue C

Abstract: China is facing severe resource crisis, especially under the great regional disparities of resource endowment and economic development. Clarifying spatial distribution pattern of natural resources in China is critical for sustainable resource management. However, a unified assessment framework at regional level is still lacking. This study establishes a comprehensive framework by combining exergy accounting and multi-region input-output analysis to investigate embodied natural resources (ENR) utilization at regional level from 2012 to 2017. Tapio analysis and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index are applied to reveal decoupling states and identify driving factors. The results show that the eastern regions required more ENR than the western regions. ENR per unit GDP in the northern regions was larger than that in the southern regions, while ENR per capita in the middle Yellow River and the eastern regions was larger than the western regions. ENR demands in most regions decoupled from economic development during 2012–2017. Fixed investment intensity and economic development were the major contributors of ENR growth, while natural resources intensity and R&D efficiency were the major negative factors. Based on such results, this study provides substantial policy recommendations for different regions to alleviate their resource crises.

Keywords: Exergy; Multi-region input-output analysis; Tapio model; Logarithmic mean divisia index; Embodied natural resources (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420722005335
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:79:y:2022:i:c:s0301420722005335

DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.103090

Access Statistics for this article

Resources Policy is currently edited by R. G. Eggert

More articles in Resources Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().