China’s Embodied Copper Flow from the Demand-Side and Production-Side Perspectives

Copper is a critical mineral resource and plays crucial role in social economic development. In China, the world’s largest copper consumer, footprints embodied transfers among sectors have not been studied sufficiently. Combing an environmentally extended input-output model complex network method, this paper systematically analyzes China’s consumption final demand production process. The research shows that (1) from perspective of demand, Construction sector driver consumption, contributing 3.27 Mt 2020, followed by Manufacture General Purpose Machinery (1.31 Mt). (2) Structural path analysis (SPA) mainly drives Production Distribution Electric Power Heat sector, Non-metallic Mineral Products so on. Conversely, main initial supply chain, driven Smelting Processing Metals (3) From production, Transport, Storage, Postal Services important transfer station transforming resources upstream to downstream along with copper. supplier for sectors. consumer including Chemical function well as transformers, suppliers consumers process transfers. (4) flow system can be divided into four groups are closely linked. E & C community core member whole network. S network, exporting great deal other communities. Finally, some policy proposals on rational utilization put forward.