Carbon loss and inequality exacerbated by embodied land redistribution in international trade

IF 6.6 2区经济学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Ecological Economics Pub Date : 2024-11-23 DOI:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108453

Haishan Meng , Dewei Yang , Tian Zhou, Shuai Zhang, Min Wan, Yijia Ji, Junmei Zhang, Hang Yang, Ruifang Guo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

International trade profoundly impacts global land resource redistribution, creating significant inequalities. However, there is still a considerable gap in studies on land transfer and resulting environmental consequences. This study aims to illuminate inequality patterns by examining the global transfer dynamics of embodied cropland, forestland, and pasture in 2001, 2011, and 2021. The results reveal a notable increase in transfers within developing regions, rising from 21.8 % to 37.1 %. The direction of the largest shifts changed in embodied cropland and forestland. Embodied land outflows from developing regions were mainly related to primary products, while those from developed regions came from manufacturing and services. The carbon losses from trade-induced land use changes indicated that the world experienced an average loss of 37.25 million MgC/yr from carbon sink and 17.60 PgC from carbon storage in 2011. Developing regions not only provided land resources to developed regions but also bore the resulting carbon sink and storage losses. To prevent international trade from worsening regional inequalities and spreading environmental impacts, concerted efforts in improving land-use efficiency and conserving carbon stocks are alternative pathways to foster and promote global sustainability.

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国际贸易中体现的土地再分配加剧了碳损失和不平等现象

国际贸易对全球土地资源的重新分配产生了深远影响，造成了严重的不平等。然而，有关土地转移及其环境后果的研究仍存在相当大的空白。本研究旨在通过考察 2001 年、2011 年和 2021 年全球耕地、林地和牧场的转移动态，揭示不平等模式。研究结果显示，发展中地区的土地流转明显增加，从 21.8% 增加到 37.1%。最大的转移方向在内含耕地和林地方面发生了变化。发展中地区的内含土地外流主要与初级产品有关，而发达地区的内含土地外流则来自制造业和服务业。贸易引起的土地利用变化造成的碳损失表明，2011 年全球平均碳汇损失为 3 725 万兆克碳/年，碳储存损失为 17.60 皮克碳/年。发展中地区不仅为发达地区提供了土地资源，还承担了由此造成的碳汇和碳储存损失。为防止国际贸易加剧地区不平等和扩大环境影响，共同努力提高土地利用效率和保护碳储量是促进和推动全球可持续发展的替代途径。

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来源期刊

Ecological Economics 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

12.00

自引率

5.70%

发文量

313

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： Ecological Economics is concerned with extending and integrating the understanding of the interfaces and interplay between "nature''s household" (ecosystems) and "humanity''s household" (the economy). Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary field defined by a set of concrete problems or challenges related to governing economic activity in a way that promotes human well-being, sustainability, and justice. The journal thus emphasizes critical work that draws on and integrates elements of ecological science, economics, and the analysis of values, behaviors, cultural practices, institutional structures, and societal dynamics. The journal is transdisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, drawing on the insights offered by a variety of intellectual traditions, and appealing to a diverse readership. Specific research areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc. New issues in this area are rapidly emerging and will find a ready forum in Ecological Economics.