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Resource Use in Growing China

Author

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  • Heming Wang
  • Seiji Hashimoto
  • Yuichi Moriguchi
  • Qiang Yue
  • Zhongwu Lu

Abstract

Natural resources provide the basis for our life on Earth. This article presents the accounts of China's direct material input (DMI) during 1998–2008. Using decomposition, we examine factors that have influenced changes in recent resource use in China. China's resource demand in 2011–2015 is projected, based on China's 12th Five‐Year Plan. Finally, effective policies to restrain China's resource demand are discussed with the following conclusions: (1) During 1998–2008, China's DMI doubled, from 11 gigatons (Gt) to 22 Gt. Metallic minerals had the strongest growth, quadrupling; nonmetallic minerals and fossil fuels more than doubled, but biomass remained stable. In relative terms, nonmetallic minerals dominated, with more than 60% of total DMI. (2) Factors of affluence (A) and material use intensity (T), respectively, contributed most to the increase and decrease of DMI, but the overall decrease effect is much smaller. Factors of population (P) and recycling (R) only slightly affected changes in China's DMI. (3) During 2008–2015, China's DMI is expected to increase by 27% to 38%, from 22 Gt to 28 to 31 Gt. The average annual rate of increase of DMI would drop to 3% to 5%, from 7% during 1998–2008. (4) Designing new products and infrastructure that use less energy and materials and changing consumption patterns to be more sustainable are crucial to the future resource strategy of China. More policies are expected to improve China's material use intensity and recycling levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Heming Wang & Seiji Hashimoto & Yuichi Moriguchi & Qiang Yue & Zhongwu Lu, 2012. "Resource Use in Growing China," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 16(4), pages 481-492, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:16:y:2012:i:4:p:481-492
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00484.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Kassouri, Yacouba & Alola, Andrew Adewale & Savaş, Savaş, 2021. "The dynamics of material consumption in phases of the economic cycle for selected emerging countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    2. Wang, Tao & Tian, Xin & Hashimoto, Seiji & Tanikawa, Hiroki, 2015. "Concrete transformation of buildings in China and implications for the steel cycle," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 205-215.
    3. Vilaysouk, Xaysackda & Schandl, Heinz & Murakami, Shinsuke, 2017. "Improving the knowledge base on material flow analysis for Asian developing countries: A case study of Lao PDR," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 179-189.
    4. Izhar Hussain Shah & Hung‐Suck Park, 2021. "Chronological change of resource metabolism and decarbonization patterns in Pakistan: Perspectives from a typical developing country," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(1), pages 144-161, February.
    5. Heming Wang & Qiang Yue & Zhongwu Lu & Helmut Schuetz & Stefan Bringezu, 2013. "Total Material Requirement of Growing China: 1995–2008," Resources, MDPI, vol. 2(3), pages 1-16, August.
    6. Pothen, Frank & Schymura, Michael, 2014. "Bigger cakes with less ingredients? A comparison of material use of the world economy," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-030, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Ta-Thi Huong & Liang Dong & Izhar Hussain Shah & Hung-Suck Park, 2021. "Exploring the Sustainability of Resource Flow and Productivity Transition in Vietnam from 1978 to 2017: MFA and DEA-Based Malmquist Productivity Index Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-26, October.
    8. Winans, K. & Kendall, A. & Deng, H., 2017. "The history and current applications of the circular economy concept," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 825-833.
    9. Pothen, Frank & Schymura, Michael, 2015. "Bigger cakes with fewer ingredients? A comparison of material use of the world economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 109-121.
    10. Yu, Xiaoman & Geng, Yong & Dong, Huijuan & Ulgiati, Sergio & Liu, Zhe & Liu, Zuoxi & Ma, Zhixiao & Tian, Xu & Sun, Lu, 2016. "Sustainability assessment of one industrial region: A combined method of emergy analysis and IPAT (Human Impact Population Affluence Technology)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 818-830.

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