Progress, influence and perspectives of emergy theories in China, in support of environmentally sound economic development and equitable trade

Emergy Accounting and Synthesis, developed by Howard Odum in the 1980s, accounts for both the work of nature and that of humans as part of it in generating products and services. Since the 1990s, when Odum's system theories and emergy approach were introduced to China, a great attention was paid to them, since they appeared to Chinese scholars very important, comprehensive, and rich with application opportunities to China's economic development and environmental management. Until now more than 150 papers related to emergy theories were published in Chinese scientific journals, more than 20 dissertations presented in all Chinese Universities, and a large number of emergy-based papers were authored by Chinese scholars in international journals. Also, several reports dealing with emergy evaluation of different provinces of China were presented to local governments for decision-making. Emergy theories were applied to valuation of ecosystems and eco-industrial parks, as well as to studies of benefits/cost analysis and feasibility of ecological engineering. Meanwhile, a series of monographs and translated books related to emergy theories were published in China, some of which are used as text books in Chinese universities and institutes. Compared with the great potential of emergy application, there are many new fields that should be addressed in China, including: assessing the environmental impact of processes based on matching of high-quality and low-quality resources, establishing new frameworks and systems for environmental accounting, evaluating natural capital and services and applying research results to the process of decision-making, and finally studying the patterns and the available development options of China regional eco-economic systems.