An industrial ecology virtual framework for policy making in China

This study develops a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) laboratory for policy-relevant applications in China. The Chinese IELab features unique flexibility and advances the previous state of the art in terms of three novel aspects. First, it can generate regionally and sectorally very detailed MRIO tables based on users' own research questions. Second, it covers the entire territorial economic boundary and has the longest and most up to date annual time series from 1978 to 2015. Third, it can be used to provide insight to a wide range of research and policy questions including social, economic, and environmental issues, thus significantly improving all applications that rely on input-output tables. These features are illustrated by generating a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei multi-regional supply and use table for 2014 at city level and applying it to the case study of transferring Beijing's non-capital functions according to The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development Strategy set by the Chinese government.