Consumption-based emissions: a new frontier for EU climate policy

The report highlights that the EU is a net importer of CO2 emissions, with consumption-based emissions (CBEs) significantly exceeding territorial emissions. While the EU has focused on territorial targets, the authors argue that addressing CBEs is essential for global climate goals. Through case studies of Sweden, Denmark, and France, the report identifies a lack of standardized monitoring and binding targets as primary barriers. It recommends that the EU establish binding CBE targets, standardize carbon accounting, and expand policies like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EcoDesign Regulation to drive sustainable consumption and production globally.

• The EU has been a net importer of CO2 emissions since 2015, meaning emissions from imported goods and services exceed those from exports.
• In 2021, the EU's total consumption-based CO2 emissions were approximately 3.5 billion metric tonnes, representing 9% of global CO2 emissions despite the EU having only 5.7% of the world's population.
• China is the largest exporter of emissions to the EU, accounting for 8.5% of EU consumption-based emissions, followed by Russia (4.8%), the US (1.6%), and India (1.6%).
• Across the EU, food is the consumption category generating the highest emissions per person on average (3.1 tonnes CO2e), followed by housing (2 tonnes), mobility (1.7 tonnes), and household goods (1.1 tonnes).
• There is a significant disparity in per capita consumption-based emissions among member states; in 2021, Denmark and Luxembourg were the highest at 11 tonnes CO2e, while Slovakia was the lowest at 4.6 tonnes CO2e.
• Current EU policy is heavily focused on 'improved consumption' (efficiency gains) rather than 'shift' (low-carbon transition) or 'avoid' (reducing overall consumption) strategies.
• The 8th Environmental Action Plan (EAP) is the only identified EU strategy that explicitly mentions the possibility of introducing Union 2030 reduction targets for material and consumption footprints.
• Sweden's consumption-based emissions decreased by nearly 30% between 2008 and 2021, with the largest reductions in transport (45%), housing (30%), and other consumption (27%).
• Denmark's consumption-based emissions in 2021 were 63 million tonnes CO2e, which is roughly 40% higher than its territorial emissions.
• France's carbon footprint in 2019 was 625 Mt CO2e (9.3 tonnes per capita), which was 48% higher than its national territorial inventory of 423 Mt CO2.
• A primary barrier to addressing CBEs is the lack of standardized monitoring methods and the complexity of global supply chains, which often leads to data inconsistencies between EU institutions.
• The report recommends that the EU establish binding targets for CBEs and mandatory annual reporting for member states to ensure accountability and transparency.

APA

Axelsson, K., Gong, J., Dugast, C., Lambe, F., Maquet, P., & Suljada, T. (2024). Consumption-based emissions: a new frontier for EU climate policy. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/sei-report-eu-consumption-emissions-june-2024.pdf

Chicago

Axelsson, Katarina, Jindan Gong, César Dugast, Fiona Lambe, Pierre Maquet, and Timothy Suljada. Consumption-based emissions: a new frontier for EU climate policy. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/sei-report-eu-consumption-emissions-june-2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{axelsson2024consumptionbased, author = {Axelsson, Katarina and Gong, Jindan and Dugast, César and Lambe, Fiona and Maquet, Pierre and Suljada, Timothy}, title = {{Consumption-based emissions: a new frontier for EU climate policy}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/sei-report-eu-consumption-emissions-june-2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }