The CO2 Content of Consumption Across U.S. Regions: A Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) Approach

Justin Caron, Gilbert Metcalf and John Reilly

The Energy Journal, 2017, vol. 38, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: Using a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) framework, we estimate the direct and indirect carbon dioxide (CO2) content of consumption across regions of the United States. We improve on existing estimates by accounting for emissions attributable to domestically and internationally imported goods using data describing bilateral trade between U.S. states and with international countries and regions. This paper presents two major findings. First, attributing emissions to states on a consumption basis leads to very different state-level emissions responsibilities than when attributed on a production basis; for example, California’s emissions are over 25 percent higher. Second, heterogeneity of emissions across trading partners significantly affects the indirect emissions intensity of consumption (kg of carbon per $ of consumption), so regional differences in intensity across the U.S. go well beyond direct energy consumption. These findings have implications for evaluating the distributional impacts of national climate policies and for understanding differing incentives to implement state-level policies.

Keywords: CO2 emissions; Emissions accounting; CO2 content of; consumption; Carbon tax incidence; Indirect emissions; Embodied emissions; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5547/01956574.38.1.jcar (text/html)

Related works:
Journal Article: The CO 2 Content of Consumption Across U.S. Regions: A Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) Approach (2017)
Working Paper: The CO2 Content Of Consumption Across US Regions: A Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) Approach (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:enejou:v:38:y:2017:i:1:p:1-22

DOI: 10.5547/01956574.38.1.jcar

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