Work

How urbanization affects consumption-based carbon emissions within the water–food–energy nexus: nonlinear patterns and underlying mechanisms in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Understanding the drivers of carbon emissions from the water–food–energy (WFE) system during urbanization is essential for achieving China’s carbon peak and neutrality goals; yet, systematic quantification in this domain remains limited. This study develops a consumption-based accounting framework to estimate WFE carbon emissions for 41 cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2000 to 2023. By integrating restricted cubic splines, boosted regression trees, and piecewise structural equation modeling, we systematically uncover the nonlinear impacts and multi-path transmission mechanisms of comprehensive urbanization on WFE emissions. The key findings are as follows: (1) WFE carbon emissions (WFEC) in the YRD exhibit a fluctuating pattern with an overall upward tendency since 2000, mainly driven by industrial and residential water use. (2) A significant nonlinear relationship exists between the composite urbanization index (UI) and both WFEC and WFE carbon intensity (WFECI), with a turning point at approximately UI = 0.2. (3) The marginal effects of population, spatial, and social urbanization on WFEC intensify over time, while that of ecological urbanization weakens; effects on WFECI are predominantly negative. (4) Population, economic, and spatial urbanization exert significant direct effects on emissions, alongside indirect effects mediated by resource use intensity and behavioral consumption structure, marking them as the most pivotal and complex dimensions. The present study provides new evidence on consumption-driven WFE emissions and offers theoretical and policy insights for low-carbon transitions in resource-intensive regions.

Source: Geo-spatial Information Science

DOI: 10.1080/10095020.2026.2655555

Authors: Yuling Wen, Zhenjie Chen, Manchun Li, Xiaolin Zhang, Wei Li

Institutions: Nanjing University, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application

Language: English

Topic: Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,993