Linking city‐level input–output table to urban energy footprint: Construction framework and application

Multiregion input–output (MRIO) models have become increasingly important in economic and environmental analysis. However, the current resolution of most MRIO models fails to capture the heterogeneity between subregions, especially in cities. The lack of city-level MRIO tables has impeded the accomplishment of city-level studies and hampered the understanding of the relationship between urban growth and consumption, and teleconnections to other regions. In this paper, we propose a partial survey-based multiple-layer framework for MRIO table compilation of a Chinese province that distinguishes city-based regions. This framework can effectively address a large number of data processes and retain consistency between layers. Using the framework, we first compile a nested Hebei-China city-level MRIO table and then apply city-level energy footprint accounting of the North China urban agglomeration. Our results present the critical role of Hebei cities in energy supply in 2012 and quantify energy use embodied in goods for the domestic trade. Tangshan, Shijiazhuang, and Handan are distinctive cities in the energy supply chain of other regions, for both less developed and developed regions. This multiple-layer framework represents a feasible approach for developing subregional-level MRIO models and offers the possibility to analyze global trade at the subregional level with limited data. The data and results from the analysis in this article are available for download from China Emission Accounts and Datasets.