Policy driven sustainability transitions in China mining resource systems

During China’s 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan periods, the urgency of energy structure adjustment propelled substantial mining industry (MI) transformation. Exploring water–energy-carbon (WEC) coupling in MI is critical to assess sustainable development progress. This study breaks through the conventional single-analysis framework by using the WEC triad framework and structural decomposition methods to analyze spatiotemporal, regional, and urban–rural disparities in China’s MI (2012–2017). The results show that: (1) An eastward migration from westward of WEC cores in China’s MI. (2) Policy-driven economic restructuring effectively suppresses resource consumption and emissions. (3) Urban households constituting the primary source of MI’s WEC footprints, with accelerated urbanization amplifying rural–urban inequities. This study aims to offer a comprehensive insight for sustainable transition and policy optimization in China’s MI.