Carbon Footprint Accounting and Influencing Factors Analysis for Forestry Enterprises in the Key State-Owned Forest Region of the Greater Khingan Range, Northeast China

Abstract

This paper constructed a carbon footprint calculation model and analyzed the carbon footprint characteristics and impact mechanism of forestry enterprises in the Greater Khinggan Range, northeast China, based on the survey and statistical data during 2017–2021. The process-based life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to calculate the total carbon footprint and carbon footprint intensity; then, a panel data model combined with ridge regression was used to explore the impacts of different factors on the carbon footprint of the forestry enterprises. Results showed that the forestry enterprises’ total carbon footprint and carbon footprint intensity showed a general trend of increasing first and then decreasing from 2017 to 2021. The average annual carbon footprint of the forestry enterprises ranged from 2354 t CO2-eq to 24,354 t CO2-eq, and the average annual carbon footprint intensity ranged from 3.48 kg CO2-eq hm−2 to 31.76 kg CO2-eq hm−2. Fire area, the number of hired labor, and vehicle usage intensity are significant driving factors of the carbon footprint in forestry enterprises. The study results can provide references for policy formulation in relation to carbon footprint control in forest regions.