Quantitatively Evaluating the Ecological Product Value of Nine Provinces in the Yellow River Basin from the Perspective of the Dual-Carbon Strategy

At the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, China formally proposed the goal of achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, which is called the dual-carbon strategy. In this study, we incorporated the dual-carbon strategy perspective into ecological product value (EPV) evaluation. The EPV is the sum of the final product and service value provided by regional ecosystems for human production and life. A significant uncertainty exists in evaluating the EPV. To bridge this gap, we explored the quantitative evaluation index system of EPV based on the dual-carbon perspective and conducted an empirical analysis relating to four subindexes (ecological protection, ecological products carbon neutral capacity transformation, ecological value, and ecological product value realization safeguard mechanism). The EPV in nine provinces of the Yellow River basin in 2020 was measured. The results showed that the total evaluation score of EPV realization in the Yellow River basin was relatively low, and the average scores of ecological product protection level, carbon neutrality capacity, value transformation level, and value realization guarantee mechanism were all at a low level. Overall, the protection level of ecological products and the guarantee mechanism to realize the EPV were relatively good. However, the carbon neutrality capacity and the value transformation level were relatively poor. From the spatial perspective, the value realization level of ecological products was roughly upstream region > downstream region > midstream region in the Yellow River basin. Finally, corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward according to the comprehensive evaluation index of EPV realization and analysis of the four subindexes.