Emergy-based environmental accounting: Evaluation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

An integrated environmental accounting of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) is presented, based on an emergy analysis using data on environmental and economic inputs and outputs within and without IMAR from 1987 to 2007. This includes an analysis of resource and economic structure and trade status. Using these metrics, IMAR is compared with other Chinese regions, as well as the nation as a whole, with respect to the performance and stainability of their respective ecological-economic systems. Results show that more than 85% of the emergy in IMAR was derived from home region sources, indicating a strong capacity for self-sufficiency, even if this amount as a percentage of the total declined from about 93 to 87 percent over the 20 year period. These results also show, that the value of the emergy-based stainability index (1.86 in 2007) indicates that IMAR is a sustainable system over medium length time periods. However, the imbalance of trade, the over-dependence on nonrenewable resources, and the high amounts of waste produced per unit of emergy expended, will all hinder the stainability of the system in the longer term context. Suggestions for public policy choices, relevant to these findings, are discussed.

摘要本研究应用综合的环境核算方法--能值分析方法, 基于1987至2007年的数据, 对内蒙古自治区生态经济系统进行了评估 通过计算内蒙古自治区环境系统和经济系统的输入输出, 以及一系列能值指标, 本研究讨论了内蒙古自治区的资源利用结构, 经济形势和贸易状况 通过比较内蒙古与中国其他几个省市的系统指标以及国家平均水平, 评估内蒙古生态经济系统的性能和可持续性。结果显示, 在系统的总利用能值中, 85%以上来自于内蒙古区域内部, 尽管在这20年中这个比例由93.03% 降到了 87.28%, 表明内蒙古有很强自给自足能力 2007年内蒙古系统的能值持续性指数为1.86, 表明内蒙古系统目前是可持续的, 但难以保证长期的可持续发展 内蒙古存在贸易不平衡, 过于依赖不可更新资源, 环境废弃物所占能值比例过高等问题, 将会阻碍系统的长期可持续性 文章最后给出了基于这些研究结果的政策建议.