Resource and environmental pressure and carrying capacity of regional economies

Based on ecological footprint and material flow analysis indicators, a model has been developed to reflect the aggregate environmental pressure and the carrying capacity of a regional economy. The model was applied to calculate the environmental pressure and carrying capacity of Shenyang in the period of 1991–2005. Results show that, of the total ecological footprint of Shenyang, 66%–80% came from carbon footprint and 20%–34% from direct footprint. The carbon footprint increased rapidly after 2000 at an average annual rate of 15.2%, higher than the GDP growth rate (13.76%) in the same period. Therefore, the principal issue of Shenyang's environmental pressure is carbon emission. The direct ecological overload increased steadily at an average annual rate of 6.3%, while the carbon overload increased rapidly after 1998 at an average annual rate of 20.8%, reached 15 million global hectares in 2005. This indicates that there exists a huge gap between the carbon absorption capacity and carbon emission in Shenyang and it is rapidly enlarging.