Coal resource-based cities at the crossroads: Towards a sustainable urban future

Abstract

Coal resource-based cities (CRBCs) represent a significant portion of resource-based cities in China, accounting for 40 % of prefecture-level cities. However, existing research on CRBCs primarily focuses on outcome-based sustainability analysis, neglecting production-based evaluation. To bridge this gap, our study investigates sustainability of CRBC using the inclusive wealth index (IWI), IWI per capita, and IWI density. We find substantial variations in CRBCs' inclusive wealth influenced by regional distribution and life stages. Regionally, sustainable development capacity follows the sequence “east > west > central > northeast”, with the northern region benefiting from abundant non-renewable natural capital. In terms of life stage sustainable development, the sequence is “growing > regenerative > grown-up > recessionary”. The decline in wealth performance from growing to recessionary types confirms the negative impact of the “resource curse” phenomenon, where resource dependence hampers growth. However, the regenerative type demonstrates the potential for transformation through sustainable development strategies. Our study presents practical strategies to enhance regional policies by adopting the IWI accounting indicator system proposed by the United Nations Environment Programme and localizing it to align with the characteristics of CRBCs in China. This innovative approach facilitates the evaluation of CRBCs' sustainable development performance.