Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/198922 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 7562
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
The amount of CO2 embedded in trade has substantially increased over the last decades. We study the trends and some drivers of the carbon content of trade over the period 1995-2009. Our main findings are the following. First, the mix of traded goods tends to have higher emission intensity than the average mix of final demand. Second, dirty countries tend to specialize in emission-intensive sectors. This finding suggests that trade liberalization may increase global emissions. Third, the share of goods produced in emission-intensive countries is rising, consequently increasing global emissions. Finally, we find that coal abundance is an important driver of net CO2 exports, and abundance increases exports. These findings highlight the importance of considering trade when designing CO2 reduction strategies. They also suggest that, if left unattended, continued growth in global trade will increase – not decrease – global CO2 emissions.
Subjects: 
international trade
embodied emissions
carbon leakage
multi-region input-output analysis
fossil fuels
Kyoto Protocol
JEL: 
F18
Q43
Q54
C67
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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