Carbon footprints of consumption of goods and services

This research paper details a downscaling approach used to estimate household carbon footprints across all Swedish municipalities down to the postcode level, analyzing the correlation between consumption categories, income, and population density to support local policymaking.

• The study estimated household carbon footprints for all Swedish municipalities at the postcode level by disaggregating the national carbon footprint using local data on expenditure, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy use. The results revealed significant variation in average carbon footprints at the postcode level, ranging from approximately 3.7 to 17.8 t CO2eq per capita.
• Analysis of consumption categories showed that flights and personal vehicles exhibit high variation, while food, electricity, and clothing are more similar. Total carbon footprints correlate positively with income. Furthermore, personal vehicle footprints correlate negatively with population density, whereas clothing, restaurants, and flights correlate positively with population density.
• The study identifies how this data supports municipal policymaking, noting that some Swedish municipalities have already used preliminary data for monitoring reduction targets, policymaking, and raising public awareness. Recommendations for future use include ensuring data access, developing policy visions and goals, and designing interventions that account for local variation, socio-economic circumstances, and systemic change.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2024). Carbon footprints of consumption of goods and services. https://www.sei.org/publications/carbon-footprints-of-consumption-of-goods-and-services/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Carbon footprints of consumption of goods and services. 2024. https://www.sei.org/publications/carbon-footprints-of-consumption-of-goods-and-services/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Carbon footprints of consumption of goods and services |date=8 November 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/carbon-footprints-of-consumption-of-goods-and-services/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2024carbon, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Carbon footprints of consumption of goods and services}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/carbon-footprints-of-consumption-of-goods-and-services/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }