Circularity of carbon-based material systems in the German anthroposphere

The anthroposphere is the system created by human beings where flows and stocks are deliberately induced through economic, social, biological and cultural activities to outline complex socioeconomic needs, relationships and structures. An essential flow for the current global status quo in energy and material activities at both biogenic and anthropogenic levels is carbon (C). The use of carbon in anthropogenic activities implies carbon emissions promoting human-induced climate change. With the aim of moving towards low-carbon economies, several strategies for abating resource scarcity and carbon emissions have been recently outlined. Based on the Material Flow Analysis (MFA) methodology, an economy-wide dynamic stock-flow model (EW-SFM) was developed to characterize, analyze and evaluate the German carbon-based systems between until 2055. The analyzed dynamics and behavior helped to comprehend the limits of circularity of carbon flows and stocks under a EW-SFK perspective.