The impact of international trade on France's carbon footprint
The geographical origin of France's imports played a decisive role in the increase of its carbon footprint during the 2000s. This trend is primarily explained by the "China shock" followed by the rise in the economy's openness rate.
By Pierre Cotterlaz, Christophe Gouel
PostThe evolution of France's carbon footprint results from several factors. Our analysis shows that changes in the trade of goods and services have significantly increased it.
The contribution of the geographical origin of consumed goods and services was particularly strong in the early 2000s, a period marked by China's rapid rise in global supply chains. After the Great Recession of 2008, it was rather the increase in the openness rate (the share of imports in domestic demand) that contributed to the rise in the carbon footprint. However, technological progress, by reducing the carbon intensity of production both in France and abroad, offset these effects, allowing for a slight decrease in the carbon footprint at the end of the period.
Further reading: Outsourcing Decarbonization? How Trade Shaped France’s Carbon Footprint (2000–14) and Comment le commerce international a façonné l’empreinte carbone de la France.
The contribution of the geographical origin of consumed goods and services was particularly strong in the early 2000s, a period marked by China's rapid rise in global supply chains. After the Great Recession of 2008, it was rather the increase in the openness rate (the share of imports in domestic demand) that contributed to the rise in the carbon footprint. However, technological progress, by reducing the carbon intensity of production both in France and abroad, offset these effects, allowing for a slight decrease in the carbon footprint at the end of the period.
Further reading: Outsourcing Decarbonization? How Trade Shaped France’s Carbon Footprint (2000–14) and Comment le commerce international a façonné l’empreinte carbone de la France.
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