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Carbon footprints of urban transition: Tracking circular economy promotions in Guiyang, China

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  • Fang, Kai
  • Dong, Liang
  • Ren, Jingzheng
  • Zhang, Qifeng
  • Han, Ling
  • Fu, Huizhen

Abstract

Promoting urban transition is critical, particularly for China’s rapid urbanization. Circular economy strategy is widely recognized as an effective way to achieve a low-carbon transition of cities through improved waste recycling and industrial symbiosis. However, the evidence of low-carbon benefit is less reported. While the carbon footprint (CFP) represents a mature tool responding to climate change concerns, limited studies have made use of CFP as a proxy for the performance of urban circular economy promotion. The aim of this paper is to investigate the CFP with a ten years span (2002–2012) of Guiyang, so as to understand how its circular economy practices have led to low-carbon benefits. Guiyang, one of China’s national pilots of the Circular Economy (CE) City, the Low-Carbon City, as well as the Ecological Civilization City, has offered an ideal laboratory where the opportunities and challenges for a low-carbon urban transition can be explicitly discussed. A hybrid model that integrates an input-output (IO) approach and process-based inventory analysis is developed to distinguish between direct carbon emissions of sectors from energy consumption, and indirect carbon emissions related to upstream and downstream flows both from production and consumption perspectives. The CFP of Guiyang in 2002, 2007 (after becoming the circular economy pilot) and 2012 (with implementation of urban industrial symbiosis) are analyzed by taking the 2002 as year of business as usual (BAU) scenario. Particularly, we identify scenarios related to proposed urban industrial symbiosis. Results imply that dramatic resource saving and CFP reductions could be achieved simultaneously. Changes to the CFP in 2002, 2007 and 2012 provide critical insights into the role of circular economy in speeding up urban transition towards a low-carbon society. Finally, policy recommendations to tackle the barriers to regional low-carbon transition are proposed. We believe that this study is informative for policy makers of urban planning by shedding a light on innovative eco-industrial development and urban transition in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Fang, Kai & Dong, Liang & Ren, Jingzheng & Zhang, Qifeng & Han, Ling & Fu, Huizhen, 2017. "Carbon footprints of urban transition: Tracking circular economy promotions in Guiyang, China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 365(C), pages 30-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:365:y:2017:i:c:p:30-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.09.024
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Avdiushchenko, 2018. "Toward a Circular Economy Regional Monitoring Framework for European Regions: Conceptual Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-26, November.
    2. Hyeong-Woo Kim & Liang Dong & Seok Jung & Hung-Suck Park, 2018. "The Role of the Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) at the National Economy: An Input-Output Analysis on Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Garfield Wayne Hunter & Gideon Sagoe & Daniele Vettorato & Ding Jiayu, 2019. "Sustainability of Low Carbon City Initiatives in China: A Comprehensive Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-37, August.
    4. Angela Neves & Radu Godina & Susana G. Azevedo & Carina Pimentel & João C.O. Matias, 2019. "The Potential of Industrial Symbiosis: Case Analysis and Main Drivers and Barriers to Its Implementation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-68, December.
    5. Liu, Xiaoyu & Duan, Zhiyuan & Shan, Yuli & Duan, Haiyan & Wang, Shuo & Song, Junnian & Wang, Xian'en, 2019. "Low-carbon developments in Northeast China: Evidence from cities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 1019-1033.
    6. Li, Chong & Zheng, Yuan & Li, Zhengyong & Zhang, Lei & Zhang, Lin & Shan, Yicai & Tang, Qinghui, 2021. "Techno-economic and environmental evaluation of grid-connected and off-grid hybrid intermittent power generation systems: A case study of a mild humid subtropical climate zone in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    7. Angela Neves & Radu Godina & Susana G. Azevedo & João C. O. Matias, 2019. "Current Status, Emerging Challenges, and Future Prospects of Industrial Symbiosis in Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-23, October.
    8. Anna Avdiushchenko & Paweł Zając, 2019. "Circular Economy Indicators as a Supporting Tool for European Regional Development Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, May.
    9. Asghari, M. & Afshari, H. & Jaber, M.Y. & Searcy, C., 2023. "Credibility-based cascading approach to achieve net-zero emissions in energy symbiosis networks using an Organic Rankine Cycle," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    10. Tao Peng & Zhiyuan Jin & Lujun Xiao, 2022. "Evaluating low-carbon competitiveness under a DPSIR-Game Theory-TOPSIS model—A case study," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 5962-5990, April.
    11. Long, Yin & Yoshida, Yoshikuni & Fang, Kai & Zhang, Haoran & Dhondt, Maya, 2019. "City-level household carbon footprint from purchaser point of view by a modified input-output model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 379-387.
    12. Fabiane Florencio de Souza & Mariane Bigarelli Ferreira & Adriana Valélia Saraceni & Leozenir Mendes Betim & Tafael Lucas Pereira & Rodolfo Reinaldo Hermes Petter & Regina Negri Pagani & Luis Mauricio, 2020. "Temporal Comparative Analysis of Industrial Symbiosis in a Business Network: Opportunities of Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-18, February.
    13. Liang Dong & Zhaowen Liu & Yuli Bian, 2021. "Match Circular Economy and Urban Sustainability: Re-investigating Circular Economy Under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    14. Ryu Koide & Michael Lettenmeier & Satoshi Kojima & Viivi Toivio & Aryanie Amellina & Lewis Akenji, 2019. "Carbon Footprints and Consumer Lifestyles: An Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Gap Analysis by Consumer Segment in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-25, October.
    15. Vhuthu Ndou & Isaac Tebogo Rampedi, 2022. "Bibliometric Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Management Research: Global and South African Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-21, August.
    16. Tao Peng & Hongwei Deng, 2021. "Research on the sustainable development process of low-carbon pilot cities: the case study of Guiyang, a low-carbon pilot city in south-west China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 2382-2403, February.
    17. Zhengai Dong & Lichen Zhang & Houjian Li & Yanhui Gong & Yue Jiang & Qiumei Peng, 2022. "Knowledge Mapping and Institutional Prospects on Circular Carbon Economy Based on Scientometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-25, September.
    18. Feng Xiong & Xiaoyu Zeng & Yi (Fionna) Xie & Yan Li, 2022. "Design (Allocation) of a Carbon Emission System—A Lesson from Power Restrictions in Zhejiang, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-31, September.
    19. Yuli Bian & Liang Dong & Zhaowen Liu & Lezhu Zhang, 2020. "A Sectoral Eco-Efficiency Analysis on Urban-Industrial Symbiosis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, May.
    20. Vanessa Zeller & Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Marc Degrez & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Urban waste flows and their potential for a circular economy model at city-region level," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/278528, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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