Material flow analysis of fossil fuel usage in the Chinese economy

Fossil fuel utilization in China from 1990 to 2000 was analyzed to study the relationship between the national economic system and the environmental impact to provide indicators for sustainable development. The MFA (material flow analysis) method was used to calculate the TMR (total material requirement) of fossil fuel combustion based on the characteristics of Chinese fuel sources and uses. The TMR indicator was combined with population and economic data to statistically analyze usage petterns. The results show that the current usage petterns of fossil fuels in China are creating many environmental problems. For sustainable development, the fossil fuel usage efficiency of China in 2010 should reach the level of West Germany in 1990 and in 2050 should reach the level of Japan in 1994.