Modified method of energy carbon footprint and application based on regional land use change

In order to better reflect the current state of regional actual ability to absorb carbon emissions from fossil energy consumption and avoid overestimating environment pressure, the calculation method of energy carbon footprint (ECF) was modified based on regional land use change and net primary productivity. The ECF of Jiangsu province during the period of 1999-2009 was analyzed by the modified method, and the relationship between the modified ECF and economic growth was evaluated using regression analysis and decoupling index. The results showed that during the last 11 years, the ECF per capita increased from 0.5184 hm2 to 1.4626 hm2 by Wackernagel method, while the ECF per capita increased from 0.1771 hm2 to 0.4194 hm2 by the modified method. Compared with Wackernagel’s method, the ECF per capita by modified method reduced 68.5% per year on average. Relationship between GDP per capita and ECF did prove the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Also, the annual development speed of ECF was lower than that of GDP and both were in the state of relative decoupling. These reflect that the dependence of current economic growth on energy consumption gradually reduces and energy utilization efficiency gets improved.