Tracing metal footprints via global renewable power value chains

Rao Fu, Kun Peng, Peng Wang, Honglin Zhong, Bin Chen, Pengfei Zhang, Yiyi Zhang, Dongyang Chen, Xi Liu (), Kuishuang Feng () and Jiashuo Li ()
Additional contact information
Rao Fu: Shandong University
Kun Peng: Shandong University
Peng Wang: Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Honglin Zhong: Shandong University
Bin Chen: Fudan University
Pengfei Zhang: Shandong University
Yiyi Zhang: Guangxi University
Dongyang Chen: Shandong University of Finance and Economics
Xi Liu: Shandong University
Kuishuang Feng: University of Maryland
Jiashuo Li: Shandong University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract The globally booming renewable power industry has stimulated an unprecedented interest in metals as key infrastructure components. Many economies with different endowments and levels of technology participate in various production stages and cultivate value in global renewable power industry production networks, known as global renewable power value chains (RPVCs), complicating the identification of metal supply for the subsequent low-carbon power generation and demand. Here, we use a multi-regional input-output model (MRIO) combined with a value chain decomposition model to trace the metal footprints (MFs) and value-added of major global economies’ renewable power sectors. We find that the MFs of the global renewable power demand increased by 97% during 2005—2015. Developed economies occupy the high-end segments of RPVCs while allocating metal-intensive (but low value-added) production activities to developing economies. The fast-growing demand for renewable power in developed economies or developing economies with upper middle income, particularly China, is a major contributor to the embodied metal transfer increment within RPVCs, which is partly offset by the declining metal intensities in developing economies. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a metal-efficient and green supply chain for upstream suppliers as well as downstream renewable power installers for just transition in the power sector across the globe.

Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39356-x Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-39356-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39356-x

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().