Exergy based ecological footprint accounting for China

The resource consumption of the Chinese society is investigated by ecological footprint (EF) as an aggregate indicator. Based on the theory of ecological thermodynamics, a modified calculation of ecological footprint termed as exergetic ecological footprint (EEF) in contrast to the conventional one is performed and related overall trends of the Chinese society are analyzed. The annual policy for the individual sector is described in detail corresponding to the variations of the EF and EEF components. Comparison of the conventional EF and the EEF is outlined. The EF intensity and EEF intensity are also presented to depict the resource consumption level corresponding to unit economic output. Finally, EEF is suggested to serve as a supplemented indicator of EF towards illustrating the productions of the resource, environment, population, and thereby reflecting the ecological overshoot of the general ecological system.