Betweenness-Based Method to Identify Critical Transmission Sectors for Supply Chain Environmental Pressure Mitigation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Economics
• Network Analysis

Background:

• Existing methods for environmental pressure mitigation focus on direct (production-based) or indirect (consumption-based) sector impacts.
• Sectors acting as 'transmission centers' in supply chains are crucial but often overlooked for mitigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a novel betweenness-based method for identifying critical transmission sectors.
• To complement existing approaches for economy-wide environmental pressure mitigation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized network analysis concepts, specifically 'betweenness centrality', to measure sector importance.
• Quantified sector betweenness by analyzing supply chain paths via structural path analysis.
• Applied the method to China's economy as a case study.

Main Results:

• Identified critical transmission sectors that are not always recognized by traditional production- or consumption-based methods.
• Demonstrated that the betweenness-based method offers unique insights into sector roles in environmental pressure generation.
• Highlighted the importance of improving production efficiency in these identified transmission sectors.

Conclusions:

• The betweenness-based method provides a valuable addition to existing tools for environmental pressure mitigation.
• This approach can guide more effective sector-level strategies by focusing on key transmission hubs.
• Findings underscore the interconnectedness of economic activities and their environmental consequences through supply chains.