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Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

ISSN 2095-2201

ISSN 2095-221X(Online)

CN 10-1013/X

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Front Envir Sci Eng    2013, Vol. 7 Issue (1) : 97-108    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-012-0402-2
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Clustering economic sectors in China on a life cycle basis to achieve environmental sustainability
Sai LIANG1(), Tianzhu ZHANG1(), Xiaoping JIA2
1. School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; 2. School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
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Abstract

To improve material efficiency, industrial structure optimization becomes a focal point in Chinese industrial and environmental policies. It is crucial to cluster economic sectors and determine their priority for industrial and environmental policy implementation. Integrating a set of criteria, a hybrid input-output model and the hierarchical cluster analysis, this study clusters China’s economic sectors and determines their priority on a life cycle basis. China’s economic sectors are clustered into three clusters. Industrial structure changes (industrial policy) should encourage the development of sectors in cluster 1 and limit the development of sectors in cluster 2. Technology development and materials recycling (two environmental policies) should mainly focus on sectors in clusters 1 and 2. Future industrial policies in China should limit the development of two sectors named Manufacture of metal products and Extraction of petroleum and natural gas. Instead of limiting some industries by command-and-control, the best policy option is to remedy environmental standards and law enforcement. Enterprises belonging to the identified key sectors from the viewpoint of direct production impacts should be concerned to achieve enterprise sustainability. To achieve sustainable production chains, the identified key sectors from the viewpoint of accumulative production impacts should be concerned. For sustainable consumption, the identified key sectors from the viewpoint of consumption impacts should be concerned to transform consumption styles. Most of environmental pressure can be alleviated not only by technical improvements and material recycling, but also by the development of economic sectors in cluster 1.
Keywords cluster analysis      input-output model      life cycle      material flow analysis      sustainable development     
Corresponding Author(s): LIANG Sai,Email:liangsai09@gmail.com; ZHANG Tianzhu,Email:zhangtz@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn   
Issue Date: 01 February 2013
 Cite this article:   
Sai LIANG,Tianzhu ZHANG,Xiaoping JIA. Clustering economic sectors in China on a life cycle basis to achieve environmental sustainability[J]. Front Envir Sci Eng, 2013, 7(1): 97-108.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-012-0402-2
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2013/V7/I1/97
itemsNo.criteriamaterials considered
economy1value added–
society2employees–
environmentresour ce demands3energyraw coal, cleaned coal, other washed coal, briquettes, crude oil, natural gas, coke, other coking products, gasoline, kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil, other petroleum products, electric and heat power, coke oven gas, other gas, liquefied petroleum gas, refinery gas
4waterfreshwater
pollutant generation5greenhouse gasescarbon dioxide
6toxic heavy metalsmercury, cadmium, chromium VI, lead, arsenic
7other toxic pollutantscyanide, volatile phenol
8acidic atmospheric pollutantssulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides
9particulate mattersoot, dust
10eutrophicationpollutantschemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen
11petroleum pollutantspetroleum
pollutant emissions12solid wasteshazardous wastes, smetery slag, coal ash, cinder, coal gangue, tailings, radioactive waste, desulfurized gypsum, agricultural film, livestock manures, crop straw, construction waste, medical waste, food waste, municipal solid waste
Tab.1  Twelve criteria to cluster economic sectors and determine their priority in China
National develop trendscluster 1cluster 2cluster 3
encouragedmanufacture of textile, manufacture of textile wearing apparel, footware, caps, leather, feather and related products, processing of petroleum, coking and nuclear fuel, chemistry, manufacture of general and special purpose machinery, manufacture of transport equipment, manufacture of electrical machinery and equipment, manufacture of communication equipment, computers and other electronic equipment, production and distribution of electric and heat power, transport, storage, postal and telecommunications services, other servicesmanufacture of metal productsmanufacture of measuring instruments and machinery for cultural activity and office work, recycling and disposal of waste
limitedprocessing of foods and tobacco, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, smelting and pressing of metalsmining and processing of metal ores, processing of timber and manufacture of furniture, manufacture of paper, printing and articles for culture, education and sport activity, manufacture of artwork and other manufacturingmining and washing of coal, mining and processing of non-metal and other ores
othersagriculture, constructionextraction of petroleum and natural gasproduction and distribution of gas, production and distribution of water
Tab.2  Clusters and national develop trends of economic sectors in China
itemsscenario 1scenario 2scenario 3
chemistryoverallcluster 1overallchemistryoverall
employees100.09%99.97%98.18%99.69%100.09%99.97%
energy101.92%100.08%99.90%98.78%100.74%100.03%
freshwater105.72%99.95%93.93%99.23%99.17%99.88%
greenhouse gases102.28%100.09%94.61%99.09%101.01%100.03%
toxic heavy metals99.04%100.16%193.96%115.13%99.04%100.16%
other toxic pollutants98.83%100.14%94.63%98.17%98.83%100.14%
acidic atmospheric pollutants101.10%100.10%95.55%99.16%100.11%100.04%
particulate matter104.17%100.08%94.31%99.16%102.45%100.03%
eutrophication pollutants99.42%100.02%100.39%98.45%98.61%99.96%
petroleum pollutants100.10%100.19%113.28%104.39%100.10%100.19%
solid wastes747.86%99.93%93.31%99.20%747.86%99.93%
Tab.3  Impacts of the development of and economic sectors in cluster 1 on overall value added, employment and environmental pressure
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