Preface Chinese Edition
The management of resources in view of availability and environmental protection requires sound methodologies for measuring, evaluation and design of material flows and stocks. Because of the unprecedent high consumption pattern of modern societies, this topic is more relevant than ever. Today, many countries focus on the transition towards circular economies, aiming at less resource use and reduced environmental loadings.
Material Flow Analysis, originating in regions of traditional resource scarcity such as Switzerland, Austria, and Japan, thus comes in time. With circular economy as an emerging objective in many regions of the world, MFA methodology is instrumental to support policy measures for the transition from mainly linear resource use to circularity. Because of its mass balance approach, MFA is most useful to validate and impartially compare different measures taken around the globe.
China as the most populated nation in the world is a key driver for global resource consumption. Hence, implementation of Chinese policies aimed at sustainable resource use will have a large effect on worldwide resource distribution and availability. The methodology of MFA is an appropriate base for such policy development. It allows for linking measures and effects, and—if uniformly applied in different countries and regions—serves well to point out those strategies that are most successful on the way towards a circular economy.
The rapidly increasing applications of MFA in China show that the potential of MFA has been recognized there. Hence, in our opinion, the Chinese translation of our Handbook comes at the right time, and we are much obliged to Gang Liu and Chunli Chu for taking on this demanding task. Like the English edition, the Chinese version is directed at higher education as well as post graduate courses, and enables scientists, engineers, and in particular students to get to know and apply MFA in their daily practice. We do hope that the Chinese version of the Handbook will make its contribution to MFA becoming a “common language”, globally used for solving resource and environmental issues. We are convinced that it will support China on its path towards a more sustainable use of resources.
Paul H. Brunner and Helmut Rechberger
Vienna and Andermatt, November 2020