Uncovering driving forces on urban metabolism—A case of Shenyang

摘要: Abstract Exploring the sustainability of urban ecosystem is becoming a key area in global sustainable development. Urban metabolism an effective analysis tool for study ecosystem. In this regard, how to evaluate level development and identify factors that affect critical. Many studies on have been explored during past half century, but few concerns about metabolism. Therefore, paper fills such gap by combining emergy Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) methods order analyze driving forces utilization, respectively. A typical industrial city, Shenyang northeast China, was chosen as case city paper. Results show renewable resource utilization very limited from 2000 2010, while nonrenewable resources imported increased rapidly. During period, total 8.52 × 1022 sej 21.53 × 1022 sej, density with annual increasing rate 10.34%, demonstrating fast economy high resident's consumption. LMDI method employed consumption aspects scale, structure intensity. rapid increase mainly caused expansion economic intensity greatly contributed offset consumption, industry played marginal role, minor value its growth. Based upon these results, several policy recommendations were raised, including use more clean energy sources, regenerative preventative eco-industrial approach, capacity-building efforts, so overall environment pressure can be reduced.