• Energy Research

SummaryEnvironmentally extended multiregional input‐output (EE MRIO) tables have emerged as a key framework to provide a comprehensive description of the global economy and analyze its effects on the environment. Of the available EE MRIO databases, EXIOBASE stands out as a database compatible with the System of Environmental‐Economic Accounting (SEEA) with a high sectorial detail matched with multiple social and environmental satellite accounts. In this paper, we present the latest developments realized with EXIOBASE 3—a time series of EE MRIO tables ranging from 1995 to 2011 for 44 countries (28 EU member plus 16 major economies) and five rest of the world regions. EXIOBASE 3 builds upon the previous versions of EXIOBASE by using rectangular supply‐use tables (SUTs) in a 163 industry by 200 products classification as the main building blocks. In order to capture structural changes, economic developments, as reported by national statistical agencies, were imposed on the available, disaggregated SUTs from EXIOBASE 2. These initial estimates were further refined by incorporating detailed data on energy, agricultural production, resource extraction, and bilateral trade. EXIOBASE 3 inherits the high level of environmental stressor detail from its precursor, with further improvement in the level of detail for resource extraction. To account for the expansion of the European Union (EU), EXIOBASE 3 was developed with the full EU28 country set (including the new member state Croatia). EXIOBASE 3 provides a unique tool for analyzing the dynamics of environmental pressures of economic activities over time.

SummaryEnvironmentally extended multiregional input‐output (EE MRIO) tables have emerged as a key framework to provide a comprehensive description of the global economy and analyze its effects on the environment. Of the available EE MRIO databases, EXIOBASE stands out as a database compatible with the System of Environmental‐Economic Accounting (SEEA) with a high sectorial detail matched with multiple social and environmental satellite accounts. In this paper, we present the latest developments realized with EXIOBASE 3—a time series of EE MRIO tables ranging from 1995 to 2011 for 44 countries (28 EU member plus 16 major economies) and five rest of the world regions. EXIOBASE 3 builds upon the previous versions of EXIOBASE by using rectangular supply‐use tables (SUTs) in a 163 industry by 200 products classification as the main building blocks. In order to capture structural changes, economic developments, as reported by national statistical agencies, were imposed on the available, disaggregated SUTs from EXIOBASE 2. These initial estimates were further refined by incorporating detailed data on energy, agricultural production, resource extraction, and bilateral trade. EXIOBASE 3 inherits the high level of environmental stressor detail from its precursor, with further improvement in the level of detail for resource extraction. To account for the expansion of the European Union (EU), EXIOBASE 3 was developed with the full EU28 country set (including the new member state Croatia). EXIOBASE 3 provides a unique tool for analyzing the dynamics of environmental pressures of economic activities over time.

Abstract In order to understand wider sustainability impacts of consumption and to successfully promote and implement sustainable consumption and production policies, there is a need to capture the whole life-cycle impact of products and services across international supply chains. Multi-region input–output (MRIO) databases are a well described and suitable foundation for global sustainability analyses addressing a wide range of policy and research questions. In this paper we reflect on the reasons for the recent boom in MRIO compilation, summarise the current state of development and discuss future options for MRIO analysis. We list in detail the requirements for efficient and effective MRIO research and propose systemic and institutional changes. We deliberately try to go beyond existing ambitions for MRIO compilation and thus intend to stimulate discussion and to lay out the options for the future of MRIO research.

Abstract In order to understand wider sustainability impacts of consumption and to successfully promote and implement sustainable consumption and production policies, there is a need to capture the whole life-cycle impact of products and services across international supply chains. Multi-region input–output (MRIO) databases are a well described and suitable foundation for global sustainability analyses addressing a wide range of policy and research questions. In this paper we reflect on the reasons for the recent boom in MRIO compilation, summarise the current state of development and discuss future options for MRIO analysis. We list in detail the requirements for efficient and effective MRIO research and propose systemic and institutional changes. We deliberately try to go beyond existing ambitions for MRIO compilation and thus intend to stimulate discussion and to lay out the options for the future of MRIO research.

Consumption-based material footprints calculated with multi-regional input–output (mrIO) analysis are influenced by the sectoral, spatial and material aggregations used in the mrIO tables, and lack of disaggregation can be a source of uncertainty. This study investigated the effect of the resolution of mrIO databases on consumption-based material footprints. The effect of aggregation was investigated by constructing input–output tables with different spatial, product and material category resolutions and comparing the calculated material footprints. Our results indicate that the material footprints of countries calculated using the different spatial and product aggregations are in general in the order of a few percent, with outliers in the order of 25% difference. The use of IO models with a low product category resolution (e.g. 60 product categories) to calculate the embodied material use of individual products will likely result in inaccurate estimations of the total embodied material for some product categories. Aggregating the original 46 material categories into 16 categories changes the calculated material footprint of countries by about 30%. This result strongly suggests that the material data used to create the extensions for the IO framework should be collected at the highest resolution that is practically feasible.

Consumption-based material footprints calculated with multi-regional input–output (mrIO) analysis are influenced by the sectoral, spatial and material aggregations used in the mrIO tables, and lack of disaggregation can be a source of uncertainty. This study investigated the effect of the resolution of mrIO databases on consumption-based material footprints. The effect of aggregation was investigated by constructing input–output tables with different spatial, product and material category resolutions and comparing the calculated material footprints. Our results indicate that the material footprints of countries calculated using the different spatial and product aggregations are in general in the order of a few percent, with outliers in the order of 25% difference. The use of IO models with a low product category resolution (e.g. 60 product categories) to calculate the embodied material use of individual products will likely result in inaccurate estimations of the total embodied material for some product categories. Aggregating the original 46 material categories into 16 categories changes the calculated material footprint of countries by about 30%. This result strongly suggests that the material data used to create the extensions for the IO framework should be collected at the highest resolution that is practically feasible.