Toward the construction of a circular economy eco-city: An emergy-based sustainability evaluation of Rizhao city in China. (August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Junli; Sun, Wei; Song, Huaming; Li, Ruiping; Hao, Junqing
• Is Part Of: Sustainable cities and society. Volume 71(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-08
• Subjects: Circular economy -- Eco-city -- Emergy analysis -- Rizhao city; Sustainable urban development -- Periodicals; Sustainable buildings -- Periodicals; Urban ecology (Sociology) -- Periodicals; 307.76
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2021.102956
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2210-6707

Abstract

Highlights: Sustainability evaluation for a circular economic eco-city is conducted by applying emergy analysis approach. Rizhao suffered a low sustainability with high reliance on local non-renewable resources. Rizhao's sustainability shows an increasing trend in recent years under the effect of circular economy. Suggestions based on local realities are proposed for overall sustainability. Abstract: The construction of the circular economy eco-city (CEE) is the most effective way to solve the problem of sustainable urban development. To promote its development, the evaluation and tracking of its sustainability have become significant in academic exploration. However, few efforts have been made in this regard. Thus, this paper aims to fill this gap by choosing Rizhao city, a coastal CEE, as a case study and employing an emergy-based method to assess its sustainability from 2005 to 2017. The study results show that the socio-economic development depends on the utilization of local non-renewable resources. Moreover, the self-support ratio was found to be above 94 %, which, in turn, led to an increase in the environmental loading ratio. However, due to a rise in resource recycle ratio, the emergy sustainability index and sustainable development index first showed a decreasing trend and then an increasing one. Consequently, the performance of the circular economy has improved, especially in terms of resolving the dilemma between a superior environment and a backward economy. Nevertheless, the coordinated development within the system was not adequate. Therefore, further policy recommendations have been made to improve the overall sustainability of the circular economy in Rizhao city.