How does consumer behavior influence regional ecological footprints? An empirical analysis for Chinese regions based on the multi-region input–output model

Xin Zhou and Hidefumi Imura

Ecological Economics, 2011, vol. 71, issue C, 171-179

Abstract: The calculation of national ecological footprints using world average productivities can lead to biased results due to the neglect of spatial variation in in-situ ecological impacts. To address this issue, we apply a regional approach to generate ecological footprints based on the multi-region input–output model. This method enables us to trace the origin of regional consumption and to systematically account for the ecological impacts embodied in interregional trade. By using decomposition analysis, we attribute regional differences in ecological footprints to three behavioral factors associated with consumption: the selection of production origins, the structure of consumption and the level of expenditure. An empirical study for China's eight regions shows substantial cross-regional variation in terms of the amount of land appropriation and the mix of land types. The empirical study also confirms that not only how much is being consumed and what is being consumed, but also geographical origins (and, by implication, regionally specific production processes and methods) influence consumption-induced ecological impacts. This paper therefore sheds light on the importance of accounting for interregional variation in consumer behaviors and recommends customized solutions to achieve effective reductions in regional ecological footprints.

Keywords: Regional ecological footprint; Multi-region input–output model; Consumer behavior; Decomposition analysis; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800911003594
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:ecolec:v:71:y:2011:i:c:p:171-179

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.08.026

Access Statistics for this article

Ecological Economics is currently edited by C. J. Cleveland

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