Characterizing embodied energy accounting with a multi-dimensional framework: A study of China's building sector

Given the substantial resource use and emissions generated from the building sector, China is seeking a more sustainable and greener mode of building construction. To grasp the characteristics of the embodied energy use of the building sector across provinces in China, a multidimensional framework is developed to examine the spatial and sectoral distributions through the whole supply chain using a multiregional input-output (MRIO) analysis and structural path analysis (SPA) as the underlying methods. The results show that from a regional perspective, Liaoning, Shandong, and Guangdong are identified as top contributors, while from a sectoral perspective, the manufacture of nonmetallic mineral products, smelting and pressing of metals, and transportation, storage, posts, and telecommunications are the largest energy suppliers. The upstream examination indicates that self-digestion is an obvious and dominant energy use behavior for most regions, while the relative importance of sectoral suppliers changes regularly with the increase in upstream stages. The energy capture that occurred in the cross-regional energy transfers indicates that Zhejiang and Hebei are the national leading net importer and net exporter of energy use in China's building sector, respectively.