es0c04728_si_001.pdf (1.2 MB)
Improving Subnational Input–Output Analyses Using Regional Trade Data: A Case-Study and Comparison
journal contribution
posted on 2020-09-04, 14:33 authored by Meng Jiang, Lin Liu, Paul Behrens, Tao Wang, Zhipeng Tang, Dingjiang Chen, Yadong Yu, Zijian Ren, Shengjun Zhu, Arnold Tukker, Bing ZhuEnvironmentally extended input–output
analysis (EE-IO) is
widely used for evaluating environmental performance (i.e., footprint)
at a national level. Many studies have extended their analyses to
the subnational level to guide regional policies. One promising method
is to embed nationally disaggregated input–output tables, e.g.,
nesting a provincial level table, into a global multiregional input–output
table. However, a widely used approach to environmental assessment
generally disaggregates the trade structure at the national level
to the provincial level using the same proportions (proportionality
assumption). This means that the subnational spatial heterogeneities
on international trade are not fully captured. By calculating the
Chinese provincial material footprint (MF) based on two approachesthe
proportionality assumption and the actual customs statisticsin
the same framework, we evaluate the quantitative differences when
the proportionality assumption is addressed. By computing MF for 23
aggregated resources across 30 Chinese provinces, our results show
for countries with large material flows like China, estimating subnational-level
international trade by proportionality assumption may lead to significant
differences in material flows at both the disaggregated and aggregated
levels. An important follow-up question is whether these differences
are also relevant for other footprints.