Assessing Environmental Sustainability Based on the Three-Dimensional Emergy Ecological Footprint (3D EEF) Model: A Case Study of Gansu Province, China

Quantifying the supply and demand relationship between human social consumption natural ecosystem resources is an effective way to assess sustainability of services. This paper introduces concepts footprint size (EFsize) depth (EFdepth) emergy analysis establish a three-dimensional ecological (3D EEF) model evaluates environmental development Gansu Province from 2001 2020. The results show that minimum value 3D (EEF3D) was 5.98 × 107 hm2 maximum 1.41 108 hm2. EEFdepth slightly more than one in 2015 2016, were deficit. However, service system 2020 almost sustainable state. region’s carrying capacity (ECC) (EEF) 2021 2030 are predicted using ARIMA GM (1, 1) models. projections ECC EEF will increase year by 2030. In short term, flow capital can satisfy requirements. Finally, policy recommendations provided for region.