Sustainability evaluation of natural capital utilization based on 3DEF model: A case study in Beijing City, China

Abstract

Natural capital is the limiting and irreplaceable factor in human welfare and sustainability. Regarding the “constancy of total natural capital” as a prudent minimum condition for sustainability, a three-dimensional ecological footprint (3DEF) model can distinguish the occupation of natural capital stock and the consumption of natural capital flows, and achieve reliable measures of the human demand on and nature's supply of natural capital. Taking the case of Beijing City, which faces a serious contradiction between its rapid social development and scarce natural capital, this paper presents a multidimensional “ecology-equity-efficiency” framework to quantify the sustainability of natural capital utilization. Our results indicate that (1) the consumption of capital stocks and capital flows complement each other through contrasting footprint size (EFsize) and footprint depth (EFdepth); (2) natural capital utilization in the 16 districts of Beijing City can be grouped into four categories. In Zone I (which includes Dongcheng, Xicheng, and Shijingshan), the depletion of stocks seriously exceeds the appropriation of flows, and thus its ecological sustainability status is the lowest compared to the other three zones; (3) according to the equity measures using both the Gini coefficient of EFsize and the variation coefficient of EFdepth, natural capital utilization within each of the current functional zones is significantly more balanced than that among the four functional zones or the 16 districts. Additionally, natural capital utilization within the Urban Function Extended Zone is more imbalanced than that of the other three functional zones, indicating that Shijingshan may be classified as part of the Core Function Zone; (4) the efficiency of natural capital utilization zones can be ranked as follows: IV>III>II>I, with Huairou possessing the best efficiency structure of low EFdepth, medium HDI, and high EFF; (5) according to our comprehensive evaluation of the sustainability of natural-capital use, Zone II effectively balances ecology, equity, and efficiency at present, whereas Zones I, III, and IV may benefit from a stronger emphasis on efficiency, equity, and ecology in the future, respectively. The results are conducive to the sustainability of natural capital utilization and associated socioeconomic development in Beijing City.