The estimates of land, water and carbon footprints based on household consumption of food and commodities in Beijing, China

Background/Question/Methods

The planet we lived has been deteriorated by human over-exploited resources and overburdened environment. The shorts of land and water resource and climate change induced by CO₂ emission are ranked as the most concerned environmental problems globally. They can be assessed by the virtual footprints on land and water resources and carbon dioxide emission. However, it is few estimates of these footprints based on household consumptions, although unsustainable consumption behaviors are the major causes of the continued deterioration of the global environment.

The procedures to calculate land, water and carbon footprints were established by life time analysis, based on household consumptions of food and commodities. By systematic literatures survey and historical data collections, these footprints were estimated for urban households of Beijing, the capita of China and its implications to environmental managements were discussed.

Results/Conclusions

The land and water footprints of household consumption were 2.22 ha/cap and 1.56 t/cap, of which 91% and 97% were related with food consumption, respectively. The carbon footprint was 1023 m³CO₂/cap, of which 19% was related with food consumption.

The total footprints of land and water consumed by household were 3.34*10⁵ km² and 1.61*10¹⁰ m³ in Beijing, and 20 times the land within the Beijing boundary and 4.6 times the water directly consumed, respectively. This implied that the household consumption by people living in Beijing should be supported by significant large quantities of land and water beyond its boundary. The total carbon footprint due to consumption of household was 2.41* 10⁶ tones CO₂ and 27% of carbon released by fossil fuel combustion in Beijing, which means that consumptions of food and commodities accounted for only a quarter carbon dioxide emission from Beijing area.