Prioritizing Consumption‐Based Carbon Policy Based on the Evaluation of Mitigation Potential Using Input‐Output Methods

Abstract

SummaryCarbon footprints aim to engage consumers in contributing to climate-change mitigation. Consumption-oriented policy measures attempt to cause voluntary or incentivized interventions that reduce environmental impact through the supply chain by utilizing demand drivers. A large body of life cycle assessment studies describe how specific actions can reduce the environmental footprint of an individual or household. However, these assessments are often conducted with a narrow focus on particular goods and processes. Here, we formalize a counterfactual method and operational tool for scoping the potential impact of such actions, focusing on economy-wide impact. This "quickscan" tool can model shifts and reductions in demand, rebound effects (using marginal expenditure), changes in domestic and international production recipes, and reductions in the environmental intensity of production. This tool provides quick, macro-level estimates of the efficacy of consumer-oriented policy measures and can help to prioritize relevant policies. We demonstrate the method using two case studies on diet and clothing using the EXIOBASE3 multiregional input-output database, giving spatially explicit information on where environmental impact reductions of the interventions occur, and where impacts may increase in the case of rebounds. Keywords:carbon footprints climate policy industrial ecology input-output analysis life cycle assessment (LCA) rebound Supporting information is linked to this article on the JIE website

EXIOBASE 3: Developing a Time Series of Detailed Environmentally Extended Multi‐Regional Input‐Output Tables

“…Within this setting, EXIOBASE 3 provides the level of detail necessary for a macro‐level policy screening of consumption‐oriented policies in regard to carbon emission savings (Wood et al. ). The high sector detail of EXIOBASE facilitates the unambiguous linking to other classification schemes.…”

“…; Wood et al. ) and to assess the outcome of policies set in place to reduce environmental impacts, increase resource efficiency, and ultimately decouple the economic activity from the environmental impacts it leads to.…”

Methodology for the Construction of Global Multi‐Regional Hybrid Supply and Use Tables for the EXIOBASE v3 Database

“…; Wood et al. , ). Our ambition is to create a data set that can be used for country, sector, and product group‐specific analyses.…”

Recent Progress in Assessment of Resource Efficiency and Environmental Impacts Embodied in Trade: An Introduction to this Special Issue

“…Their analysis shows that compared to 2011 levels, halving consumer food waste would lead to 2% to 7% reductions of the total footprint depending on the environmental category. Finally, Wood and colleagues () propose a framework that demonstrates the usefulness of MRIO databases such as EXIOBASE V3 in assessing the impact of policy measures—both geospatially, and in terms of supply‐chain impact. Such approaches can give quick estimates based on exploiting EXIOBASE V3 to give the potential savings and rebounds of a technical implementation of a policy measure, but by no means replace detailed studies. Credibility for official statistical agencies : Tukker and colleagues () discuss how, based on knowledge of factors that create most uncertainty in footprint analyses, steps can be made toward constructing GMRIOs in a way that they become gradually more acceptable as a tool for use in official statistics.…”