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An ecological footprint (EF) is a vital indicator to measure the sustainable development of a region. Analysis of the driving factors of EFs can facilitate the sustainable development of the population, resources and environment. As the capital city of China, Beijing has a unique municipal economic structure and faces greater urban ecosystem challenges than other cities. This paper used an input-output model to calculate an EF on the basis of the original decomposition analysis model. We consider the population effect, the economic effect, the industrial structure effect, and the footprint intensity to explore the factors driving the changes in the EF of 39 sectors in Beijing. In addition, 9 screened sectors with more significant effects on the change in the EF were analyzed. The results indicated that (1) among the 39 sectors, the crucial factors that drive EF growth are the economic effect, the population effect, and footprint intensity, with contribution rates to total EF of 59.4%, 31.0%, and 7.7%, respectively, while the effect of the industrial structure tends to be 0; and (2) among the 9 screened industries, the population effect and the economic effect promote the growth of the EF of 9 sectors. The reduction in the EF of the primary industry sector is due to the impact of industrial structure effect and footprint intensity. The four effects all promote an increase of the EF of the transportation, warehousing and postal services. These results can be used to propose suggestions for the future development of sectors in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive GHG inventory provides an overview and the information of sources of emissions, and can serve as a sound scientific basis for mitigation actions. This study was the first initiative to develop a complete and transparent GHG inventory of Beijing, to document the current situation and to help governmental officials to clarify their priorities for reducing GHG emissions. The authors investigated and calculated the emission sources defined by the GPC, and assessed data accuracy. The contents of the detailed inventory were documented and are open for research verification and for methodological references for other cities. The results showed that three emission sources, i.e. CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel consumption, CO 2 emissions from industrial production and CH 4 emissions from landfills, contributed 97% of Beijing's GHGs. Considering the problem of missing data and low data quality, the authors suggested that instead of seeking to compile a complete inventory, Chinese cities should first report their GHG emissions from these sources, while improving the data quality for the long run. The authors anticipate that the findings reported in this paper will help to strengthen city-level GHG inventory research in China and throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]