An Ecological-Network Input–Output Clustering Model for Analyzing CO2 Emission System

Excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emission has been challenges to regional sustainable development. In this study, an ecological-network input–output clustering (ENIOC) model is developed to analyze CO2 emission system. ENIOC can recognize the complex characteristics and relationships within CO2 emission system from network and statistical perspectives. ENIOC is applied to Jiangsu. Some major findings are as follows: (i) electricity-heat supply and metal smelting industries are dominant CO2 emission contributors (i.e., 16.4% and 12.3% of the total CO2 emission, respectively); also, they provide plenty of carbon-intensive products for supporting construction and heavy industries; (ii) the CO2 emission system is relatively unstable; optimize the structure of key pathways (e.g., mining → metal smelting → metal products) could mitigate CO2 emission across the supply chain; (iii) CO2 mitigation policy should focus on the sectors in cluster 2 (e.g., chemical, metal product and equipment industries) to reduce their dependency on carbon-intensive products from other sectors; CO2 mitigation policy also should focus on metal smelting and electricity-heat supply industries (i.e., the sectors in cluster 3) to improve their efficiencies of energy use.