IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v118y2018icp312-316.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving estimates of subnational commodity flows in LCA for policy support: A US case study

Author

Listed:
  • Yang, Yi

Abstract

Life cycle assessment models incorporating interregional commodity flows at subnational levels can be used to estimate regional implications of environmental and energy policies, and to evaluate corporate's regional supply-chain sustainability impacts. Here, I study the importance of subnational commodity flows in life cycle inventory results of US products. Two models are used for analysis, an aggregate input-output model covering all productive sectors and a detailed process model focusing on corn. On average, ~50% of agricultural, mining, and manufacturing goods traveled across state boundaries (10–50% for corn specifically). Neglecting the inter-state commodity flows can lead to large errors in state-level life cycle inventory results (up to 200–400%). It can also affect national average inventory results: depending on where corn is sourced from, an average unit of corn used as feed and feedstock in the US could have substantially different amounts of embodied water. Results further suggest that the more spatially variable of an environmental stressor, water use the more important it is to account for commodity flows. A better understanding of interregional commodity flows at subnational levels improves the predictive capability of life cycle models for better policy support.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Yi, 2018. "Improving estimates of subnational commodity flows in LCA for policy support: A US case study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 312-316.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:118:y:2018:i:c:p:312-316
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.03.024
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421518301575
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.03.024?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. H. Murat Celik, 2004. "Forecasting interregional commodity flows using artificial neural networks: an evaluation," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(6), pages 449-467, September.
    2. Williams, Roberton C., 2012. "Growing state–federal conflicts in environmental policy: The role of market-based regulation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(11), pages 1092-1099.
    3. Manfred Lenzen & Arne Geschke & Arunima Malik & Jacob Fry & Joe Lane & Thomas Wiedmann & Steven Kenway & Khanh Hoang & Andrew Cadogan-Cowper, 2017. "New multi-regional input–output databases for Australia – enabling timely and flexible regional analysis," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 275-295, April.
    4. Xue, Xiaobo & Collinge, William O. & Shrake, Scott O. & Bilec, Melissa M. & Landis, Amy E., 2012. "Regional life cycle assessment of soybean derived biodiesel for transportation fleets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 295-303.
    5. Zhang, Chao & Anadon, Laura Diaz, 2014. "A multi-regional input–output analysis of domestic virtual water trade and provincial water footprint in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 159-172.
    6. Chen, Yihsu, 2009. "Does a regional greenhouse gas policy make sense? A case study of carbon leakage and emissions spillover," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 667-675, September.
    7. Whistance, Jarrett & Thompson, Wyatt & Meyer, Seth, 2017. "Interactions between California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the National Renewable Fuel Standard," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 447-455.
    8. Justin Caron, Gilbert E. Metcalf, and John Reilly, 2017. "The CO 2 Content of Consumption Across U.S. Regions: A Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) Approach," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    9. Mark A. J. Huijbregts & Wolfgang Schöpp & Evert Verkuijlen & Reinout Heijungs & Lucas Reijnders, 2000. "Spatially Explicit Characterization of Acidifying and Eutrophying Air Pollution in Life‐Cycle Assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 4(3), pages 75-92, July.
    10. Jiao Wang & Ying Long, 2016. "Baseline Water Stress: China," Working Papers id:10948, eSocialSciences.
    11. Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer & Sarah Sim & Perrine Hamel & Benjamin Bryant & Ryan Noe & Carina Mueller & Giles Rigarlsford & Michal Kulak & Virginia Kowal & Richard Sharp & Julie Clavreul & Edward Price & S, 2017. "Life cycle assessment needs predictive spatial modelling for biodiversity and ecosystem services," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, April.
    12. Guo, Ju’e & Zhang, Zengkai & Meng, Lei, 2012. "China’s provincial CO2 emissions embodied in international and interprovincial trade," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 486-497.
    13. Adam J. Liska & Haishun S. Yang & Virgil R. Bremer & Terry J. Klopfenstein & Daniel T. Walters & Galen E. Erickson & Kenneth G. Cassman, 2009. "Improvements in Life Cycle Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn‐Ethanol," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 13(1), pages 58-74, February.
    14. Liu, Nan & Ma, Zujun & Kang, Jidong, 2017. "A regional analysis of carbon intensities of electricity generation in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 268-277.
    15. Ham, Heejoo & Kim, Tschangho John & Boyce, David, 2005. "Implementation and estimation of a combined model of interregional, multimodal commodity shipments and transportation network flows," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 65-79, January.
    16. Leontief, Wassily, 1970. "Environmental Repercussions and the Economic Structure: An Input-Output Approach," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 52(3), pages 262-271, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Albert, Osei-Owusu Kwame & Marianne, Thomsen & Jonathan, Lindahl & Nino, Javakhishvili Larsen & Dario, Caro, 2020. "Tracking the carbon emissions of Denmark's five regions from a producer and consumer perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    2. Li, Meng & Gao, Yuning & Meng, Bo & Yang, Zhusong, 2021. "Managing the mitigation: Analysis of the effectiveness of target-based policies on China's provincial carbon emission and transfer," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    3. Xueting Zhao, 2014. "China's Inter-regional Trade of Virtual Water: a Multi-regional Input-output Modeling," Working Papers Working Paper 2014-04, Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University.
    4. Cong, Rong-Gang & Stefaniak, Irena & Madsen, Bjarne & Dalgaard, Tommy & Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård & Nainggolan, Doan & Termansen, Mette, 2017. "Where to implement local biotech innovations? A framework for multi-scale socio-economic and environmental impact assessment of Green Bio-Refineries," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 141-151.
    5. Ren, Shenggang & Yuan, Baolong & Ma, Xie & Chen, Xiaohong, 2014. "The impact of international trade on China׳s industrial carbon emissions since its entry into WTO," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 624-634.
    6. Jonas Bunsen & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2022. "An Introductory Review of Input-Output Analysis in Sustainability Sciences Including Potential Implications of Aggregation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, December.
    7. Guiliang Tian & Xiaosheng Han & Chen Zhang & Jiaojiao Li & Jining Liu, 2020. "Virtual Water Flows Embodied in International and Interprovincial Trade of Yellow River Basin: A Multiregional Input-Output Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, February.
    8. Xu, Xueliu & Wang, Qian & Ran, Chenyang & Mu, Mingjie, 2021. "Is burden responsibility more effective? A value-added method for tracing worldwide carbon emissions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    9. Liu, Qiaoling & Wang, Qi, 2015. "Reexamine SO2 emissions embodied in China's exports using multiregional input–output analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 39-50.
    10. Liu, Yating & Chen, Bin, 2020. "Water-energy scarcity nexus risk in the national trade system based on multiregional input-output and network environ analyses," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    11. Xueting Zhao & Randall W. Jackson, 2016. "China’s Inter-Regional Trade of Virtual Water — A Multi-Regional Input–Output Table Based Analysis," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(02), pages 1-28, June.
    12. Wu, X.F. & Chen, G.Q., 2018. "Coal use embodied in globalized world economy: From source to sink through supply chain," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 978-993.
    13. Su, Bin & Thomson, Elspeth, 2016. "China's carbon emissions embodied in (normal and processing) exports and their driving forces, 2006–2012," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 414-422.
    14. Wang, Haikun & Zhang, Yanxia & Lu, Xi & Nielsen, Chris P. & Bi, Jun, 2015. "Understanding China׳s carbon dioxide emissions from both production and consumption perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 189-200.
    15. Zhang, B. & Qiao, H. & Chen, Z.M. & Chen, B., 2016. "Growth in embodied energy transfers via China’s domestic trade: Evidence from multi-regional input–output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1093-1105.
    16. Hao, Yan & Zhang, Menghui & Zhang, Yan & Fu, Chenling & Lu, Zhongming, 2018. "Multi-scale analysis of the energy metabolic processes in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) urban agglomeration," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 369(C), pages 66-76.
    17. Da Zhang & Marco Springmann & Valerie J. Karplus, 2016. "Equity and emissions trading in China," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 131-146, January.
    18. Zhen, Wei & Qin, Quande & Zhong, Zhangqi & Li, Li & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2018. "Uncovering household indirect energy-saving responsibility from a sectoral perspective: An empirical analysis of Guangdong, China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 451-461.
    19. Sun, Licheng & Wang, Qunwei & Zhang, Jijian, 2017. "Inter-industrial Carbon Emission Transfers in China: Economic Effect and Optimization Strategy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 55-62.
    20. Zheng, Hongmei & Li, Aimin & Meng, Fanxin & Liu, Gengyuan, 2020. "Energy flows embodied in China's interregional trade: Case study of Hebei Province," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 428(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:118:y:2018:i:c:p:312-316. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.