Moana Simas

The Paris Agreement lays out the objective of keeping global warming below 2 °C. The goal can be achieved by increasing both the share of renewables in the energy mix and energy efficiency. Such action entails a transformation of the energy sector, which, given its linkages with the rest of the economy, will have a knock‐on effect on other sectors. Using scenarios based on a multiregional input–output database, this article explores the economy‐wide and worldwide employment impact of such a transition. Findings suggest that by 2030 most economies will experience net job creation and reallocation across industries. Job creation is driven by the construction, manufacturing and renewables sectors.

Resumen: El Acuerdo de París establece el objetivo de mantener el calentamiento global por debajo de los 2 °C a partir de los niveles preindustriales. Ello puede lograrse aumentando la proporción de energías renovables y la eficiencia energética, lo que implica una transformación del sector energético que tendrá un efecto en cadena en otros sectores. Mediante simulaciones basadas en una matriz insumo‐producto multirregionales se explora el impacto de esta transición en el empleo a escala mundial. En 2030, casi todas las economías experimentarán redistribución de puestos entre sectores económicos y creación neta de empleo, impulsada esta última por la construcción, las manufacturas y las energías renovables.

Résumé: L'Accord de Paris fixe pour objectif de limiter le réchauffement climatique à 2 °C. Il faudra pour cela accroître la part des énergies renouvelables et améliorer l'efficacité énergétique. Une telle transition énergétique aura des répercussions sur l'ensemble de l'économie, y compris en matière d'emploi. Les auteurs cherchent à mesurer cet effet sur l'emploi en utilisant un modèle entrées‐sorties multirégional. Ils montrent que la transition énergétique débouchera sur une création nette d'emplois dans la plupart des économies en 2030 (principalement grâce à la construction, à l'industrie manufacturière et au secteur des énergies vertes) et sur des flux d'emplois intersectoriels.

Summary: Most countries show a relative decoupling of economic growth from domestic resource use, implying increased resource efficiency. However, international trade facilitates the exchange of products between regions with disparate resource productivity. Hence, for an understanding of resource efficiency from a consumption perspective that takes into account the impacts in the upstream supply chains, there is a need to assess the environmental pressures embodied in trade. We use EXIOBASE3, a new multiregional input‐output database, to examine the rate of increase in resource efficiency, and investigate the ways in which international trade contributes to the displacement of pressures on the environment from the consumption of a population. We look at the environmental pressures of energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, material use, water use, and land use. Material use stands out as the only indicator growing in both absolute and relative terms to population and gross domestic product (GDP), while land use is the only indicator showing absolute decoupling from both references. Energy, GHG, and water use show relative decoupling. As a percentage of total global environmental pressure, we calculate the net impact displaced through trade rising from 23% to 32% for material use (1995–2011), 23% to 26% for water use, 20% to 29% for energy use, 20% to 26% for land use, and 19% to 24% for GHG emissions. The results show a substantial disparity between trade‐related impacts for Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and non‐OECD countries. At the product group level, we observe the most rapid growth in environmental footprints in clothing and footwear. The analysis points to implications for future policies aiming to achieve environmental targets, while fully considering potential displacement effects through international trade.

Summary: Environmentally extended multiregional input‐output (EE MRIO) tables have emerged as a key framework to provide a comprehensive description of the global economy and analyze its effects on the environment. Of the available EE MRIO databases, EXIOBASE stands out as a database compatible with the System of Environmental‐Economic Accounting (SEEA) with a high sectorial detail matched with multiple social and environmental satellite accounts. In this paper, we present the latest developments realized with EXIOBASE 3—a time series of EE MRIO tables ranging from 1995 to 2011 for 44 countries (28 EU member plus 16 major economies) and five rest of the world regions. EXIOBASE 3 builds upon the previous versions of EXIOBASE by using rectangular supply‐use tables (SUTs) in a 163 industry by 200 products classification as the main building blocks. In order to capture structural changes, economic developments, as reported by national statistical agencies, were imposed on the available, disaggregated SUTs from EXIOBASE 2. These initial estimates were further refined by incorporating detailed data on energy, agricultural production, resource extraction, and bilateral trade. EXIOBASE 3 inherits the high level of environmental stressor detail from its precursor, with further improvement in the level of detail for resource extraction. To account for the expansion of the European Union (EU), EXIOBASE 3 was developed with the full EU28 country set (including the new member state Croatia). EXIOBASE 3 provides a unique tool for analyzing the dynamics of environmental pressures of economic activities over time.