IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i10p4728-d1660933.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Fairness Evaluation on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Ecological Footprint: A Case Study of Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration

Author

Listed:
  • Libo Liang

    (School of Economics and Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China)

  • Xiaona Liu

    (School of Economics and Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China)

  • Pengfei Ge

    (School of Economics and Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China)

Abstract

The sustainable development of the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration (GPUA), which is a pivotal Belt and Road hub, is critical for achieving the UN’s 17 SDGs. Based on the ecological footprint (EF) model, this study innovatively constructs a three-dimensional framework integrating natural and human-made capital, using the Gini coefficient and spatiotemporal analysis to evaluate resource allocation fairness in the GPUA from 2005 to 2022. Key findings include the following: (1) EF and GDP grew continuously at annual rates of 11.43% and 11.87%, while ecological carrying capacity (EC) stabilized, pushing the GPUA toward its ecological threshold under the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). Moreover, the increasing Ecological Pressure Index (EPI) shows that after 2014, the GPUA has trended toward “extremely unsafe” status. (2) The ecological carrying capacity Gini coefficient (G 1 , 0.1710–0.6060) fluctuated significantly, while the economic contribution Gini coefficient (G 2 , 0.1039–0.3519) showed a narrow upward trend; since 2015, the comprehensive Gini (G < 0.4) indicates that the EF aligns with its EC and economic contribution. (3) The GPUA shows fair resource allocation. Tongchuan, Baoji, and Xianyang are low economic contribution and high ecological contribution; Xi’an and Yangling Demonstration Zone are high economic contribution and low ecological contribution; Weinan is low ecological contribution and low economic contribution. These findings provide critical insights for hub urban agglomerations to achieve the 17 SDGs through fair ecological resource allocation and sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Libo Liang & Xiaona Liu & Pengfei Ge, 2025. "The Fairness Evaluation on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Ecological Footprint: A Case Study of Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-20, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4728-:d:1660933
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4728/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4728/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Druckman, A. & Jackson, T., 2008. "Measuring resource inequalities: The concepts and methodology for an area-based Gini coefficient," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 242-252, April.
    2. Zeinab Neisani Samani & Ali Asghar Alesheikh & Mohammad Karimi & Najmeh Neysani Samany & Sayeh Bayat & Aynaz Lotfata & Chiara Garau, 2024. "Advancing Urban Healthcare Equity Analysis: Integrating Public Participation GIS with Fuzzy Best–Worst Decision-Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-17, February.
    3. Jiekun Song & Rui Chen & Xiaoping Ma, 2022. "Provincial Allocation of Energy Consumption, Air Pollutant and CO 2 Emission Quotas in China: Based on a Weighted Environment ZSG-DEA Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-21, February.
    4. Jie Pang & Juan Yin & Shimei Li & Yunnan Zou & Yunlan Zhang & Xinyue Liang & Rui Huang, 2022. "The Ecological Footprint and Allocation of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-18, November.
    5. Ning Li & Haoyu Wang & Wen He & Bin Jia & Bolin Fu & Jianjun Chen & Xinyuan Meng & Ling Yu & Jinye Wang, 2025. "Spatiotemporal Detection of Ecological Environment Quality Changes in the Lijiang River Basin Using a New Dual Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-18, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fang Wan & Jizu Li, 2023. "Responsibility Allocation of Provincial Industry Emission Reduction from the Perspective of Industrial Linkages—A Case Study of Shanxi Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Yujie Yang & Weixin Luan & Yunan Xue, 2019. "Sustainability and Environmental Inequality: Effects of Animal Husbandry Pollution in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-16, August.
    3. Bei Guan & Xiuqiong Liang & Yang Yang & Xiang Sun & Jiawei Wang & Danyi Wei & Bin Wang & Han Cheng, 2024. "Optimal allocation of water pollutant discharge permits based on Environmental Gini Coefficient (EGC): a case study of Qinhuai river basin in Nanjing, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 5179-5198, February.
    4. Overland, Indra & Juraev, Javlon & Vakulchuk, Roman, 2022. "Are renewable energy sources more evenly distributed than fossil fuels?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 379-386.
    5. Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2011. "Conceptualizing urban household energy use: Climbing the "Energy Services Ladder"," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1659-1668, March.
    6. Zhao, Congyu & Jia, Rongwen & Dong, Kangyin, 2023. "Does financial inclusion achieve the dual dividends of narrowing carbon inequality within cities and between cities? Empirical evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    7. Boukary OUEDRAOGO & Sylvie FERRARI, 2012. "Incidence of forest income in reducing poverty and inequalities:\r\nEvidence from forest dependent households in managed forests’ areas in Burkina Faso," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2012-28, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    8. Rui Chen & Yali Zhao & Juan Du & Tao Wu & Yafang Huang & Aimin Guo, 2014. "Health Workforce Equity in Urban Community Health Service of China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(12), pages 1-15, December.
    9. Bouvier, Rachel, 2014. "Distribution of income and toxic emissions in Maine, United States: Inequality in two dimensions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 39-47.
    10. Zhaojun Wang & Amanda M. Countryman & James J. Corbett & Mandana Saebi, 2021. "Economic and environmental impacts of ballast water management on Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries," Papers 2108.13315, arXiv.org.
    11. Chen, Jiandong & Cheng, Shulei & Song, Malin, 2017. "Decomposing inequality in energy-related CO2 emissions by source and source increment: The roles of production and residential consumption," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 698-710.
    12. Greselin, Francesca & Zitikis, Ricardas, 2015. "Measuring economic inequality and risk: a unifying approach based on personal gambles, societal preferences and references," MPRA Paper 65892, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Ballet, Jérôme & Marchand, Lucile & Pelenc, Jérôme & Vos, Robin, 2018. "Capabilities, Identity, Aspirations and Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 21-28.
    14. Hellinton H. Takada & Celma O. Ribeiro & Oswaldo L. V. Costa & Julio M. Stern, 2020. "Gini and Entropy-Based Spread Indexes for Primary Energy Consumption Efficiency and CO 2 Emission," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    15. Jin Li & Jie Li & Jian Huang, 2022. "Research on the Equity and Optimal Allocation of Basic Medical Services in Guangzhou in the Context of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-15, November.
    16. Yuan, Qiang & McIntyre, Neil & Wu, Yipeng & Liu, Yichao & Liu, Yi, 2017. "Towards greater socio-economic equality in allocation of wastewater discharge permits in China based on the weighted Gini coefficient," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 196-205.
    17. Steinberger, Julia K. & Krausmann, Fridolin & Eisenmenger, Nina, 2010. "Global patterns of materials use: A socioeconomic and geophysical analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 1148-1158, March.
    18. Sun, Tao & Zhang, Hongwei & Wang, Yuan & Meng, Xiangming & Wang, Chenwan, 2010. "The application of environmental Gini coefficient (EGC) in allocating wastewater discharge permit: The case study of watershed total mass control in Tianjin, China," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 54(9), pages 601-608.
    19. Boyce, James K. & Zwickl, Klara & Ash, Michael, 2016. "Measuring environmental inequality," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 114-123.
    20. Jiawei Zhang & Peien Han & Yan Sun & Jingyu Zhao & Li Yang, 2021. "Assessing Spatial Accessibility to Primary Health Care Services in Beijing, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4728-:d:1660933. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.