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In this paper, we decompose the driving forces of global CO2 emissions for the post-crisis era 2008–2011 from both production-based and consumption-based aspects. The results suggest that non-OECD economies have become the major drivers for the rapid global growth of CO2 emissions after the crisis. More specifically, the increasing consumption and investment of non-OECD economies, as well as stagnation of their emission intensity reductions, have largely contributed to global growth of CO2 emissions after 2009. On the contrary, OECD economies have a less carbon-intensive life style. Coupled with a decrease in investment and stagnation of consumption, the OECD economies have successfully reduced both their production-based and consumption-based emissions. However, the magnitude of their reduction is much lower than the increase led by non-OECD economies. In addition, both OECD and non-OECD economies have started to increase their purchases of intermediate and final products from non-OECD economies. Such changes of international trade caused an additional 673 Mt of global emissions from 2008 to 2011. The results of our decomposition provide both worries about and insights into future global climate change mitigation.

Index decomposition analysis (IDA) and structural decomposition analysis (SDA) are analytical techniques that have been extensively used by researchers to study drivers of changes in energy consumption and energy-related emissions for energy and climate policy assessment and development. We compare the two techniques from the methodological and application viewpoints and with specific reference to economy-wide analysis where the overlap between the two is the greatest. Our study brings up to date several previous studies and provides a detailed assessment of the post-2010 developments. In addition, a framework for additive and multiplicative decomposition methods is presented, specific application in policy analysis is discussed with representative examples given, and the selection between the two techniques is described. Despite the differences between the two techniques in terms of origin, there has been some convergence in their application in some specific areas. However, even if the same dataset is used, application of the two techniques will lead to different numerical results due to underlying differences in some core concepts and the meanings of the drivers of change defined. A good understanding of these similarities and differences will help researchers in making sound judgment in their adoption and implementation in policy studies.

Singapore is an island city-state. It lacks conventional energy resources and is alternative energy disadvantaged. In the past decade (2000–2010), its energy-related carbon emissions increased from 37.8 to 44.4 million tonnes of CO2. This paper analyses the city state's carbon emissions from the demand perspective using the input-output (I-O) method and investigate the drivers of emission changes using structural decomposition analysis (SDA). It is the first comprehensive analysis of Singapore's emissions using the I-O framework. The results obtained show that exports accounted for nearly two-thirds of its total emissions and growth in its emissions in the last decade was largely export-driven. Emissions increased as export-oriented industries and export volume expanded. Fuel switching and energy efficiency, however, helped to lower growth in emissions. Besides exports, household-related emissions accounted for about a quarter of Singapore's total emissions. The emissions related to different household groups remained fairly stable as increases in embodied (indirect) emissions were offset by decreases in direct emissions. The high-income household group registered the largest increase in direct emissions, while the middle-income household group registered the largest increase in embodied emissions. The policy implications of our findings are discussed.

The enlargement of the EU towards Central and Eastern Europe started in 2004 and represented a significant challenge for European political and economic agendas. Fifteen years later, Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have experienced a significant economic growth, mostly based upon industrial development and trade expansion, displaying a strong integration in EU global value chains. In this paper, we aim to analyse if this process of economic and commercial integration has also triggered the externalization of environmental pressures towards Central and Eastern Europe or, on the contrary, trade expansion has been accompanied with a significant technological and structural change in these countries, offsetting the potential scale effects associated to the export growth. To that aim, we use an environmentally extended multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model with information from 2000 to 2016 that will allow us to quantify the PM2.5 emissions embodied in intra-European trade flows. As a second step, we develop a Structural Decomposition Analysis to evaluate the factors driving emissions embodied in exports from CEE to Western EU countries.

Over the past few decades, Thailand has been one of the highly open economies and one of the most successful countries in applying the export-led growth model. At the same time, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions released in Thailand tripled between 1990 and 2015. To examine how international trade plays a role in shaping Thailand’s CO 2 emissions inventory, we compare emissions under both production-based and consumption-based accounting over 1990–2015 and disaggregate total CO 2 emissions into traded and non-traded parts. We also use a multi-regional input-output database for performing a structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to investigate the factors contributing to changes in CO 2 emissions. We find that Thailand continually stood out as a net carbon exporting country. CO 2 embodied in exports accounted, on average, for 40% of domestically produced emissions. Our SDA results suggest that traded and non-traded emissions grew mainly due to increasing per-capita consumption in Thailand and abroad. The retarding effect from energy efficiency improvement was significant but not sufficient to reduce emissions.

Great attention has been paid to the origin of observed wild price fluctuations of solar PV Si feedstock in both contract and spot markets during 2004–2009. This paper sheds light on this issue and tries to resolve it by addressing the following questions: what kind of structural shock is underlying the price fluctuations of PV Si feedstock? How can we quantify the magnitude, timing and relative importance of these shocks? What are their dynamic effects on the real price of PV Si feedstock? By carefully studying development conditions, the structural decomposition of the real price of PV Si feedstock is proposed: exchange rate shocks, production cost shocks, aggregate demand shocks and demand shocks specific to feedstock markets. With a Structural Vector Autoregression model, the paper quantifies and verifies the impact of structural shocks on PV Si feedstock real price changes. Based on national data, an analysis is further taken to confirm the essential role of demand shocks specific to feedstock markets in determining sharper price fluctuations during 2004–2009. The results of this study have important implications for national solar PV development, which can be better promoted and administrated if structural shocks in feedstock markets can be carefully evaluated and understood.

This study examines the annual CO2 emissions embodied in China's exports from 2002 to 2008 using environmental input–output analysis. Four driving forces, including emission intensity, economic production structure, export composition, and total export volume, are compared for their contributions to the increase of embodied CO2 emissions using a structural decomposition analysis (SDA) technique. Although offset by the decrease in emission intensity, the increase of embodied CO2 emissions was driven by changes of the other three factors. In particular, the change of the export composition was the largest driver, primarily due to the increasing fraction of metal products in China's total export. Relevant policy implications and future research directions are discussed at the end of the paper.

A complex system of production links our greenhouse gas emissions to our consumer demands. Whilst progress may be made in improving efficiency, other changes in the production structure may easily annul global improvements. Utilising a structural decomposition analysis, a comparative-static technique of input–output analysis, over a time period of around 30 years, net greenhouse emissions are decomposed in this study into the effects, due to changes in industrial efficiency, forward linkages, inter-industry structure, backward linkages, type of final demand, cause of final demand, population affluence, population size, and mix and level of exports. Historically, significant competing forces at both the whole of economy and industrial scale have been mitigating potential improvements. Key sectors and structural influences are identified that have historically shown the greatest potential for change, and would likely have the greatest net impact. Results clearly reinforce that the current dichotomy of growth and exports are the key problems in need of address.

This paper attempts to quantify energy consumption and CO 2 emissions in the industrial sectors of Korea. The sources of the changes in CO 2 emissions for the years 1990–2003 are investigated, in terms of a total of eight factors, through input–output structural decomposition analysis: changes in emission coefficient (caused by shifts in energy intensity and carbon intensity); changes in economic growth; and structural changes (in terms of shifts in domestic final demand, exports, imports of final and intermediate goods, and production technology). The results show that the rate of growth of industrial CO 2 emissions has drastically decreased since the 1998 financial crisis in Korea. The effect on emission reductions due to changes in energy intensity and domestic final demand surged in the second period (1995–2000), while the impact of exports steeply rose in the third period (2000–2003). Of all the individual factors, economic growth accounted for the largest increase in CO 2 emissions. The results of this analysis can be used to infer the potential for emission-reduction in Korea.

Taiwan currently emits approximately 1% of the world's CO2—ranking it 22nd among nations. Herein, we use the input–output (I–O) structural decomposition method to examine the changes in CO2 emission over a 15-year period. By decomposing the CO2 emission changes into nine factors for the periods of 1989–1994, 1994–1999, and 1999–2004, we have identified the key factors causing the emission changes, as well as the most important trends regarding the industrial development process in Taiwan. The 5-year increment with the largest increase of CO2 emission was that of 1999–2004, due to the rapid increase of electricity consumption. From the decomposition, the industrial energy coefficient and the CO2 emission factors were identified as the most important parameters for the determination of the highway, petrochemical materials, iron and steel, the commercial sector, and electric machinery as the major sources of increased CO2 emission during the past 15 years. From 1989 to 2004, the level of exports and the level of domestic final demand were the largest contributors to the increase in the total increment of CO2 change. During 1989–2004, the industrial energy coefficient and CO2 emission factors, being minimally significant during 1989–1994, became extremely important, joining the domestic final demand and the level of exports factors as the major causes of the increase increment of CO2. This indicates a heavy reliance upon high-energy (and CO2) intensity for Taiwanese industries; therefore, continuous efforts to improve energy intensity and fuel mix toward lower carbon are important for CO2 reduction, especially for the electricity and power generation sectors. Relevant strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from major industries are also highlighted.

Input–output structural decomposition analysis (I–O SDA) is applied in this paper to analyze the sources of change in industrial CO 2 emissions in Taiwan from 1989 to 2001. Owing to the fact that Taiwan is an export-oriented, trade-dependent economy, the focus is on trade transformation over the past decade and its effect over industrial CO 2 emissions. Change in trade patterns has significantly impacted many aspects of the Taiwan economy, subsequently resulting in various influences on industrial CO 2 emissions, as shown by empirical analysis results. Change in export level increased industrial CO 2 emissions, above all other effects, by 72.1%. However, changes in export mix and import coefficients imposed effects of dragging down industrial CO 2 emissions by 5.7% and 11.7%, respectively.

This work proposes an input–output structural decomposition analysis model to identify the sources of the differences in the energetic intensities of the European Union countries. Given an economic structure, a determined composition of the final demand and determined direct energy intensities by countries, the work studies to what extent these factors explain the difference in aggregate energy intensities that are observed for different European Union countries. On the basis of this information, indicators are constructed by sectors and countries that allow us to identify the role that each sector or country plays as an energy consumer. The results show that the aggregate/total energy differences in Europe are strongly influenced by the direct energy intensity effect and by the demand effect, without the different economic structures of the countries being an important factor in the explanation of these differences. The metallurgical and manufacturing products sectors are identified as the most intensive in the aggregate energy intensity.

This article uses input–output methods to obtain the energy-related CO2 intensities for the Spanish economy in 1992. Based on those intensities, it yields a structural decomposition of Spanish energy-related CO2 emissions and an estimation of the price effects of several hypothetical carbon taxes levied on fossil fuel consumption. These results are related to the ongoing discussion within EU circles and member states about the consequences of carbon/energy taxes, and to the simulated effects of such taxes in various countries. The paper also responds to the lack of reliable disaggregated data on Spanish CO2 emissions and to the growing awareness on the limited effectiveness of Spanish climate change policies.

This paper provides an alternative use of input–output structural decomposition analysis to identify the key factors that affected CO 2 emission changes of Taiwan's petrochemical industries during 1984–1994. Changes in CO 2 emission are decomposed into eight factors by integrating index decomposition analysis, input–output theory, and structure decomposition approach (SDA). The empirical results show the relative contribution of each factor on industrial CO 2 emission change. Moreover, some policy implications are also elaborated based on the empirical results. This work is helpful for the framing of individual industrial CO 2 reduction measures, and also provides a valuable reference for planning of national integrated CO 2 mitigation.

This study employs input-output structural decomposition analysis to examine emission trends and effects of industrial CO2 emission changes in Taiwan during 1981–1991. Results indicate that the primary factor for the increase of CO2 emission is the level of domestic final demand and exports; however, the effect of an increasing rate of added value is less obvious. On the other hand, the effects of a decreasing industrial CO2 intensity is a main reducing factor, next is the structure of domestic final demand, and the rate of domestic production to intermediate input also has partial reducing effects for CO2 emission. Besides, the structure change of exports has only low reducing effects. Results presented herein can provide valuable information regarding the characteristics and key factors of CO2 emission in the industrial development process. This information can also serve as a basic reference for the CO2 reduction plan in Taiwan.