Application of the componential method for ecological footprint calculation of a Chinese university campus

Li, G.J.; Wang, Q.; Gu, Xiaowei; Liu, J.X.; Ding, Yi; Liang, Gemin

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2007.01.007

Cited by 42 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Alongside global and national level applications (e.g., Borucke et al, 2013;Coscieme et al, 2016;Kitzes et al, 2008), the EF has also been applied at regional (e.g., Bagliani et al, 2008;Hopton and White, 2012), city (e.g., Baabou et al, 2017;Moore et al, 2013), and corporate levels (e.g., Bagliani and Martini, 2012), dealing with topics ranging from wider sustainability, to carrying capacity and natural capital management, and specific sectoral issues (e.g., Bastianoni et al, 2013;Collins and Flynn, 2015;Fang et al, 2016;Galli, 2015b;Patterson et al, 2007). More recently, the application of the EF to education establishments has received increasing attention in the academic literature, with studies measuring the EF of Universities, Tertiary Colleges and High Schools in Australia (Flint, 2001), Belgium (Lambrechts and Van Liedekerke, 2014), Canada (Burgess and Lai, 2006), China (Li et al, 2008), Israel (Gottlieb et al, 2012), Portugal (Nunes et al, 2013), Spain (Fernández et al, 2016), Turkey (Südaş and Özeltürkay, 2015), United Kingdom (Wright et al, 2009) and United States (Janis 2007;Klein-Banai and Theis 2011;Venetoulis, 2001). The majority of these studies have tended to focus on measuring the resource use of students, staff and faculties (e.g., Gottlieb et al, 2012;Lambrechts and Liedekerke, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning and teaching sustainability: The contribution of Ecological Footprint calculators

Collins

Galli

Patrizi

et al. 2018

Journal of Cleaner Production

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Consumption habits imply responsibility. Progressive awareness of the scale of materials, energy, goods and services consumed on a daily basis and knowledge of the implications of consumption choices are prerequisites for designing steps towards sustainable behavior. This article explores, for the first time, the educational value of personal Footprint calculators and their contribution in terms of enhancing awareness of the environmental consequences of consumption behaviors. Our study involved the application of Global Footprint Networks' personal Ecological Footprint (EF) calculator in teaching aimed at High School and postgraduate University students in two geographical areas (Italy and UK). Students calculated their individual EF, and used the results to explore the environmental consequences of their current consumption behaviors and the effects associated with selected changes in daily consumption activities. Our analysis shows that students were able to appreciate the difference between their individual Footprints and national and global averages. The calculator also enabled them to debate sustainable consumption in the context of their everyday life, inducing them to personally experience the multidimensional character of sustainability. Students finally demonstrated an ability to quantitatively capture how knowledge and awareness of the environmental consequences associated with certain consumption behaviors may facilitate better choices, and encourage greater commitment to sustainable resource use.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning and teaching sustainability: The contribution of Ecological Footprint calculators

Collins

Galli

Patrizi

et al. 2018

Journal of Cleaner Production

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“…So far, many methods, models and indicators have been put forward to evaluate sustainable development quantitatively at different scales (Li and Liu 2007). One of these, the ecological footprint (EF) indicator introduced by Rees (1992) and elaborated by Wackernagel and colleagues (Wackernagel and Rees 1996;Wackernagel et al 1999) as a biophysical quantitative assessment tool to estimate the sustainable utilisation of natural resources, has received considerable attention and positive response from international scientists, world governments and NGOs (Van den Berg and Verbruggen 1999;WWF 1999WWF , 2002WWF , 2004WWF , 2006WWF , 2008Ferng 2002;Stöglehner 2003;Lin 2006, 2008;Xie and Lu 2006;, and has been widely used at different scales (Erb 2004;Min et al 2004;Cao and Xie 2007;Cuadra and Bjorklund 2007;Wilson et al 2007;Li et al 2008;Singh et al 2009). The EF calculation provides: the amount of regenerative biocapacity (BC) of the planet or of a finite area needed in a given time for a given human activity, which could be consumption of resources, production of goods or supply of services (Kitzes and Wackernagel 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Dynamic prediction of Chinese development based on the ecological footprint method

Liu

et al. 2010

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ec

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Ecological footprint (EF), as a physical indicator to measure the extent of humanity's use of natural resources, is one of the most successful methods used to assess sustainable development. This paper calculated the per capita EF and biocapacity (BC) of China from 1949 to 2008 and the fluctuant cycles of per capita EF and BC, which were decomposed and assessed based on empirical mode decomposition and nonlinear dynamic prediction models. We propose prediction scenarios and the results show that: (1) over the last 60 years, the per capita EF increasingly fluctuated while the per capita BC constantly reduced, and since 1985, China has had an aggregate ecological deficit (ED); (2) the business-as-usual scenario looked at the consequences if average annual change rates of per capita EF and BC are constant, where the per capita ED would be 3.9024 gha in 2030, a very grim situation for China; and (3) if the productivity of natural ecosystems increases by 10%, consumption of natural ecosystems and emission of CO 2 and contamination could be reduced by 10% and per capita ED would be 1.5217 gha in 2030, then the potential for sustainable development will be much better than the business-as-usual scenario. Finally, some policy recommendations are presented, such as increased land productivity to meet growing demand, reducing over-consumption of resources to mitigate ecological overload, promoting resource-saving consumption and paying attention to international trade.

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“…energy (Penela and Villasante 2008), tourism (Patterson et al 2008), production of wine , mobile phones (Frey et al 2006) and transportation (Chi and Stone 2005). In addition, ecological footprint can be applied at all scales, including the world (Wackernagel et al 2004a), city (Muniz and Galindo 2005), municipality (Scotti et al 2009) and campus (Li GJ et al 2008). Although there is some debate and critique on using ecological footprint as the only indicator of global sustainability, excluding the environmental effects of tertiary products and double accounting (van Vuuren and Bouwman 2005;Collins et al 2006;Medved 2006), this approach has many advantages: (1) it can assess sustainability and even ecological security quantitatively ); (2) it can be understood easily by the general public and policymakers (Stoglehner 2003;Collins et al 2006);and (3) it can provide an indirect basis for studying long-term ecological risk and sustainability (Senbel et al 2003;Wackernagel et al 2004aWackernagel et al , 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of regional ecological security based on ecological footprint and influential factors analysis: a case study of Chongqing Municipality, China

Dai

Liu

2010

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ec

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In recent years, it has been important to objectively evaluate the degree of regional ecological security with regard to resource depletion and to analyse influential factors to assess sustainable development. This paper tries to assess ecological security in Chongqing while investigating the main influencing factors. Calculations of the consumption footprint, production footprint and ecological capacity for Chongqing from 1996 to 2007 based on an ecological footprint approach were carried out. An ecological security index was also calculated from these results and factors influencing security were analysed using factor analysis. Both the consumption and production footprints present an upward trend, contrary to the gradually decreasing trend of ecological capacity. In addition, the ecological security index shows that Chongqing has deteriorated from a level of less risk to that of risk. Factor analysis suggests that the deterioration of ecological security could primarily be ascribed to socioeconomic factors and industrialisation. With socio-economic development and industrialisation, appropriate measures must be taken to improve the ecosystem in Chongqing so as to achieve sustainable development. The limitations of the methodology are also discussed and areas that require further research are presented.

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Application of the componential method for ecological footprint calculation of a Chinese university campus

Cited by 42 publications

References 2 publications

Learning and teaching sustainability: The contribution of Ecological Footprint calculators

Learning and teaching sustainability: The contribution of Ecological Footprint calculators

Dynamic prediction of Chinese development based on the ecological footprint method

Assessment of regional ecological security based on ecological footprint and influential factors analysis: a case study of Chongqing Municipality, China

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