The biophysical magnitude of global human economic activity is arguably the defining feature and challenge of the Anthropocene, leading to multiple environmental consequences. Quantifying this magnitude at sufficient resolution remains a challenge. We define and present the first detailed district-level analysis of Net National Metabolism (NNM) – a social metabolism energy metric – for an industrialised country (the United Kingdom), using data on household energy alongside household expenditure survey data and energy intensity figures for product categories. The total UK NNM is estimated as 7.56 EJ year⁻¹ (3650 W per capita), 44% of which stems from energy embodied in products and services consumed by households. This is comparable with the metabolism of the UK biosphere (approximately 6.95 EJ year⁻¹). Of the final energy embodied in consumption of goods and services, 46% is dependent on domestic policy decisions and 54% is dependent on policy decisions with/in key trading partners. We demonstrate the applicability of this metric by exploring the relationship between NNM and social deprivation in the UK.

全球人类经济活动的生物物理规模可以说是人类世的决定性特征和挑战，导致多种环境后果。以足够的分辨率量化这个幅度仍然是一个挑战。我们使用家庭能源数据以及家庭支出调查数据和能源强度数据，定义并展示了工业化国家（英国）的净国民代谢（NNM）——一种社会代谢能量指标——的首次详细的地区级分析。产品类别。总英国 NNM 估计为 7.56 EJ 年^-1（人均 3650 W），其中 44% 来自家庭消费的产品和服务中包含的能源。这与英国生物圈的新陈代谢相当（大约 6.95 EJ 年^-1 )。在商品和服务消费中体现的最终能源中，46% 取决于国内政策决定，54% 取决于与/在主要贸易伙伴之间的政策决定。我们通过探索 NNM 与英国社会剥夺之间的关系来证明该指标的适用性。