Global Sustainability Accounting - Developing EXIOBASE for Multi-Regional Footprint Analysis
Wood, Richard; Stadler, Konstantin; Bulavskaya, Tatyana; Lutter, Stephan; Giljum, Stefan; de Koning, Arjan; Kuenen, Jeroen; Schutz, Helmut; Acosta-Fernandez, Jose; Usubiaga, Arkaitz; Silva Simas, Moana; Ivanova, Olga; Weinzettel, Jan; Schmidt, Jannick H.; Merciai, Stefano; Tukker, Arnold
Abstract
Measuring progress towards sustainable development requires appropriate frameworks and databases. The System of Environmental-Economic Accounts (SEEA) is undergoing continuous refinement with these objectives in mind. In SEEA, there is a need for databases to encompass the global dimension of societal metabolism. In this paper, we focus on the latest effort to construct a global multi-regional input−output database (EXIOBASE) with a focus on environmentally relevant activities. The database and its broader analytical framework allows for the as yet most detailed insight into the production-related impacts and “footprints” of our consumption. We explore the methods used to arrive at the database, and some key relationships extracted from the database.