Atmospheric Pollution and Consumption Patterns in Spain: An Input-Output Approach

This paper analyses the relationship between Spanish household consumption patterns and atmospheric pollutant emissions in 2000. Applying an input-output approach we estimate the relative responsibility of different types of households in the emissions of nine different atmospheric pollutants: the six greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, HFCs and PFCs) regulated by the Kyoto protocol and three other gases (SO2, NOx and NH3). We combine input-output tables, national consumer survey statistics and environmental pollution satellite accounts into an environmental extended input-output model. We also analyse the assumptions required in order to apply the model to available data. We find that there is a positive and very high relationship between the level of household expenditure and the direct and indirect emissions generated by household consumption. However, the emission intensities tend to decrease with the expenditure level for the different atmospheric pollutants, with the exception of the synthetic greenhouse gases (SF6, HFCs and PFCs).Input-Output Analysis, Consumption Pattern, Atmospheric Pollution

Income growth and atmospheric pollution in Spain: an Input-Output approach

The relationships between economic growth and environmental pressures are complex. Since the early nineties, the debate on these relationships has been strongly influenced by the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, which states that during the first stage of economic development environmental pressures increase as per capita income increases, but once a critical turning-point has been reached these pressures diminish as income levels continue to increase. However, to date such a delinking between economic growth and emission levels has not happened for most atmospheric pollutants in Spain. The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between income growth and nine atmospheric pollutants in Spain. In order to obtain empirical outcomes for this analysis, we adopt an input-output approach and use NAMEA data for the nine pollutants. First, we undertake a structural decomposition analysis for the period 1995-2000 to estimate the contribution of various factors to changes in the levels of atmospheric emissions. And second, we estimate the emissions associated with the consumption patterns of different groups of households classified according to their level of expenditureinput-output analysis; atmospheric pollution; income growth, Environmental Kuznets Curve; Spain.

17 years of european altimetric missions and their calibration

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Atmospheric Pollution and Consumption Patterns in Spain: An Input-Output Approach

This paper analyses the relationship between Spanish household consumption patterns and atmospheric pollutant emissions in 2000. Applying an input-output approach we estimate the relative responsibility of different types of households in the emissions of nine different atmospheric pollutants: the six greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, HFCs and PFCs) regulated by the Kyoto protocol and three other gases (SO2, NOx and NH3). We combine input-output tables, national consumer survey statistics and environmental pollution satellite accounts into an environmental extended input-output model. We also analyse the assumptions required in order to apply the model to available data. We find that there is a positive and very high relationship between the level of household expenditure and the direct and indirect emissions generated by household consumption. However, the emission intensities tend to decrease with the expenditure level for the different atmospheric pollutants, with the exception of the synthetic greenhouse gases (SF6, HFCs and PFCs)

Emisiones territoriales y fuga de emisiones : análisis del caso español

Habitualmente las estadísticas oficiales consideran exclusivamente las emisiones que un país produce en el interior de su territorio. Este enfoque, conocido como "responsabilidad del productor", no tiene en cuenta el papel del comercio internacional. Esta limitación ha dado lugar a una perspectiva diferente para asignar las emisiones por países. Según el enfoque de la "responsabilidad del consumidor" un país es responsable de todas las emisiones asociadas a su demanda interior, independientemente de dónde se hayan producido. Este artículo estima, mediante la metodología input-output, las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero asociadas al comercio exterior de España y analiza las emisiones desde el enfoque del consumidor para el periodo 1995-2007. Metodológicamente se presenta una novedad importante: la aplicación del supuesto de la tecnología doméstica a nivel físico. La conclusión, con importantes implicaciones políticas, es que la demanda interna de España genera mayores emisiones de lo que reflejan los inventarios oficiales. Además, el desequilibrio entre las emisiones "contenidas" en las importaciones y las asociadas a las exportaciones fue creciente durante el período considerado, especialmente debido al comercio con los países no incluidos en el Anexo B del Protocolo de Kioto.Official statistics only consider the emissions generated within the borders of a country. This approach, called "producer responsibility", does not take into account the role of international trade. This limitation has given place to a different perspective on the attribution of emission responsibilities among countries. According to this new perspective of "consumer responsibility" a country would be responsible for all the emissions associated with the production of the goods and services for attending its domestic demand. This paper uses input-output techniques to account for the embodied emissions of greenhouse gases in Spanish international trade, and to analyse the emissions from the consumer perspective for the period 1995-2007. Methodologically this paper presents an important novelty: we apply the domestic technology assumption in physical terms. Our conclusion, with important political implications, is that the Spanish domestic demand generates higher emissions than those reported by the official inventories. Moreover, the imbalance between the "embodied" emissions in imports and exports has increased during the period of analysis, especially due to the trade with the non-Annex B countries of the Kyoto Protocol

Income growth and atmospheric pollution in Spain: an input-output approach

The relationships between economic growth and environmental pressures are complex. Since the early nineties, the debate on these relationships has been strongly influenced by the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis,which states that during the first stage of economic development environmental pressures increase as per capita income increases, but once a critical turning-point has been reached these pressures diminish as income levels continue to increase. However, to date such a delinking between economic growth and emission levels has not happened for most atmospheric pollutants in Spain. The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between income growth and nine atmospheric pollutants in Spain. In order to obtain empirical outcomes for this analysis, we adopt an input-output approach and use NAMEA data for the nine pollutants. First, we undertake a structural decomposition analysis for the period 1995-2000 to estimate the contribution of various factors to changes in the levels of atmospheric emissions. And second, we estimate the emissions associated with the consumption patterns of different groups of households classified according to their level of expenditur

The reform of the European Energy Tax Directive reform : effect on prices [WP]

[spa] Para hacer frente a los riesgos relacionados con la contaminación atmosférica, es ampliamente aceptada la necesidad de instrumentos de política encaminados a reducir las emisiones. La intervención tiene por objeto reducir las conductas contaminantes y incentivar una conducta más respetuosa y el uso de tecnologías más eficientes. La Unión Europea cuenta con dos importantes mecanismos económicos para el control de emisiones a escala europea: la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos, un instrumento de fiscalidad ambiental aprobado en 2003 que afecta el precio de los productos energéticos, y el sistema de comercio de los derechos de emisiones, introducido en 2005, que afecta directamente a la cantidad de emisiones de CO2. En 2011, la Comisión Europea propuso una nueva versión de la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos. El objetivo principal de la propuesta es aumentar la eficacia del instrumento a través de una mayor presión fiscal sobre los productos energéticos y de coordinar este instrumento de fiscalidad medioambiental con el sistema de comercio de los derechos de emisiones, para establecer una señal de precio de CO2 coherente para todos los sectores. Sin embargo, en mayo de 2012 el Parlamento Europeo bloqueó la propuesta de la nueva versión del impuesto, y el proceso de actualización se detuvo. La preocupación principal parecía ser el efecto de dicha propuesta en la competitividad, en particular para los sectores que serían los más afectados dado el uso intensivo de los productos energéticos, como el sector del transporte. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el efecto que la reforma de la directiva sobre los impuestos energéticos podría tener sobre el nivel de precios, en particular en los países de la Unión Europea donde esta reforma implicaría un aumento de los impuestos energéticos. Utilizando datos del proyecto “World Input-Output Database”, la principal conclusión es que el nuevo sistema de impuestos energéticos tendría un impacto muy bajo sobre los precios. Por lo tanto, dado que los precios no serían fuertemente afectados por la reforma, no habrá inconvenientes para la competitividad y implicaciones en términos de distribución, pero, por otro lado, este resultado también implica una baja capacidad de esta reforma para provocar cambios en el consumo y la producción hacia menos presiones ambientales.[eng] To address risks related to atmospheric contamination, it is widely accepted the need for policy instruments aimed to reduce emissions. Policy intervention seeks to reduce polluting behaviours by encouraging a more respectful conduct and the use of more efficient technologies. The European Union (EU) counts with two important economic mechanisms for emission control at European level: the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD), an environmental taxation approved in 2003 that affects the price of energy products, and the Emissions Trade System (ETS), a cap and trade system introduced in 2005 that directly affects the CO2 emission quantity. In 2011, the European Commission (EC) proposed a new version of the ETD. The main aim of the proposal was to increase the effectiveness of the instrument through stronger fiscal pressure on energy products and to coordinate the environmental taxation with the ETS, establishing a comprehensive and consistent CO2 price signal for sectors not included in the EU-ETS. However, in May 2012 the European Parliament delivered a setback for the EC plans regarding the ETD and the process of updating stopped. The main worry seemed to be the effect of such proposal on competitiveness; in particular the concern regards sectors that would be mostly affected given the intensive use of energy products.The aim of this study is to analyse the effect that the 2011 ETD reform would have on the level of prices, if implemented, particularly in the EU countries where this reform would imply to increase energy taxes. Using data from the World Input Output Database (WIOD) project, the main finding is that the new energy tax regime would have a low impact on prices. Thus, since prices would not be strongly affected by the reform, there will be no drawbacks for competitiveness and distributional implication; but, on the other hand, this result will also imply a low capability of this reform to cause changes in consumption and production towards less environmental pressures

The reform of the European Energy Tax Directive: exploring potential economic impacts in the EU27

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect that the Energy Tax Directive reform proposed in 2011 would have, if implemented, on the level of prices in the different sectors of the 27 countries of the European Union. We apply a multiregional and multisectoral model of trade flows that takes into account all the intersectoral and intercountry interdependences in the production processes. Using the World Input-Output Database we perform two different simulations. The first one considers the tax changes proposed by the reform; the second one shows the impact the reform would have entailed if it were applied also to sectors belonging to the European Trade System (...

Measuring emissions avoided by international trade: accounting for price differences

Net Emissions Avoided by trade (NEA) are the difference between the pollution that would have been produced in a country if it had not exported any products and all the imports required to satisfy its domestic demand had been produced internally, and its actual emissions. The Domestic Technology Assumption (DTA) applied to an Input-Output model is the appropriate method to estimate the NEA. The usual implementation of the DTA involves that the country analyzed should produce a quantity of products equivalent to the monetary value of the imports required to satisfy its final demand (i.e. 'monetary DTA'). However, due to price differences, the same physical quantity of goods in different countries could have a different monetary value and the estimation of the NEA would be biased. We show that a 'physical DTA', focused on the pollution to produce domestically the imports measured in physical units, would be a better approach. We have applied both methodologies to analyze greenhouse gas emissions in Spain 1995-2007. Both methodologies show that Spain is avoiding emissions through trade. However, the NEA increases up to three times when applying the 'physical DTA', showing that results from the 'monetary DTA' are biased by price differences

Carbon-motivated border tax adjustment: a proposal for the EU

The analysis focuses on carbon-motivated border tax adjustment (CBTA). CBTA are tariffs applied to imports designed to avoid drawbacks of emission reduction policies when only one or few regions (the abating regions) implement them. Through CBTA the abating regions level out different treatment applied to domestic and imported products. In this paper we focus on CBTA metric. Through a multi-region and multi-sector analysis we compute and compare two possible CBTA systems that the European Union could implement to complement a hypothetical carbon tax applied to domestic products. In one system, tariffs are computed based on the emissions generated abroad to produce the goods imported by the European Union. In the second system, tariffs are based on the emissions that the European Union would have generated to produce domestically the same products. Results at country and sector level contribute to better understand the effects of this instrument and to add information to the political debate on it. Moreover, an important contribution of this analysis is that we explore methodological issues that arise from the use of multi-region and multi-sector models to compute different CBTA metrics