Economic Systems Research · 2010 · 297 citations · 34 references
BusinessEconomicsEnvironmental SciencesEnvironmental AccountingEnvironmental EconomicsInternational TradeCarbon AccountingCarbon Emissions AccountingCarbon Footprint AssessmentCarbon FootprintingGreenhouse Gas AccountingInput-output AnalysisCarbon Footprint CalculationCarbon Footprint MethodologyGreenhouse Gas Emission InventoryGreenhouse Gas EmissionsGreenhouse Gas Emissions AccountingGreenhouse Gas Emissions AssessmentInput-output Carbon FootprintingMulti-regional Input-output Analysis
The study presents an international multi‑region input‑output framework for the UK. A balanced UK input‑output time series (1992‑2004) was constructed using matrix balancing, integrated with sectoral trade and environmental data, and employed to compute national carbon footprints that distinguish emissions by import destination. Consumer greenhouse‑gas emissions rose sharply, widening the producer‑consumer gap, with imported CO₂ increasing from 4.3 % to 20 % of producer emissions and the 2004 UK carbon footprint reaching 730 Mt CO₂ (934 Mt CO₂e).
The framework and results of an international multi-region input–output (MRIO) model for the UK are presented. A time series of balanced input–output tables for the UK was constructed for the period 1992 to 2004 by using a matrix balancing procedure that is able to handle conflicting external data and inconsistent constraints. Detailed sectoral and country-specific trade data for the UK were compiled and reconciled with the UK input–output data, and economic and environmental accounts for three world regions were integrated in a UK-specific MRIO model. This was subsequently used to calculate a time series of national carbon footprints for the UK from 1992 to 2004. Greenhouse gas emissions embedded in UK trade are distinguished by destination of imports to intermediate and final demand. Most greenhouse gases show a significant increase over time in consumer emissions and a widening gap between producer and consumer emissions. Net CO2 emissions embedded in UK imports increased from 4.3% of producer emissions in 1992 to a maximum of 20% in 2002. The total estimated UK carbon footprint in 2004 was 730 Mt for CO2 and 934 Mt CO2 equivalents for all greenhouse gases.
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A definition of “carbon footprint”
Thomas Wiedmann, Jan C. Minx · 2010 · 1.2K citations
Management, Environmental Management, Environmental Sciences +12
Thomas Wiedmann, Manfred Lenzen, Karen Turner et al. · Ecological Economics · 2007 · 698 citations