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Looking for the Inverted Pyramid: An Application Using Input-Output Networks

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  • Cahen-Fourot, Louison
  • Campiglio, Emanuele
  • Dawkins, Elena
  • Godin, Antoine
  • Kemp-Benedict, Eric

Abstract

Herman Daly's view of the economy as an “inverted pyramid” sitting on top of essential raw material inputs is compelling, but not readily visible in monetary data, as the contribution of primary sectors to value added is typically low. This article argues that “forward linkages”, a classical development theory concept capturing the relevance of a sector for downstream activities, is an informative and complementary measure to identify key sectors. Using Input-Output (IO) data from eighteen European countries, we identify mining as the sector with the highest average forward linkages, and confirm the consistency of this result across countries via cluster analysis. By treating IO tables as the adjacency matrix of a directed network, we then build and visualise national inverted pyramid networks, and analyse their structure. Our approach highlights the role of natural resources in providing the necessary inputs to modern European economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Cahen-Fourot, Louison & Campiglio, Emanuele & Dawkins, Elena & Godin, Antoine & Kemp-Benedict, Eric, 2020. "Looking for the Inverted Pyramid: An Application Using Input-Output Networks," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:169:y:2020:i:c:s092180091930624x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106554
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    Cited by:

    1. Gouriéroux, C. & Monfort, A. & Renne, J.-P., 2022. "Required Capital for Long-Run Risks," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    2. Antoine GODIN & Paul HADJI-LAZARO, 2020. "Demand-induced transition risks: A systemic approach applied to South Africa," Working Paper b86d90ca-ea16-401e-9fac-4, Agence française de développement.
    3. Sergio Soza-Amigo & Jean Pierre Doussoulin, 2024. "Structural Changes in Chile’s Industries to Reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Emissions: An Emissions Multiplier Product Matrix Analysis (eMPM)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Cahen-Fourot, Louison & Campiglio, Emanuele & Godin, Antoine & Kemp-Benedict, Eric & Trsek, Stefan, 2021. "Capital stranding cascades: The impact of decarbonisation on productive asset utilisation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Antoine GODIN & Guilherme MAGACHO & Achilleas MANTES & Devrim YILMAZ & Etienne ESPAGNE, 2021. "Developing Countries’ Macroeconomic Exposure to the Low-carbon Transition," Working Paper 987d9eb7-8fce-4eb0-8cb7-d, Agence française de développement.
    6. Ipsen, Leonhard & Aminian, Armin & Schulz-Gebhard, Jan, 2023. "Stress-testing inflation exposure: Systemically significant prices and asymmetric shock propagation in the EU28," BERG Working Paper Series 188, Bamberg University, Bamberg Economic Research Group.
    7. Hadji-Lazaro, Paul, 2025. "Environmental responsibility and exposure of finance: Combining environmentally-extended input-output and balance sheet approaches," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    8. Ante, Lennart, 2024. "The scope of green finance research: Research streams, influential works and future research paths," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    9. Ivan Faiella & Luciano Lavecchia, 2020. "The carbon footprint of Italian loans," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 557, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    10. Kemp-Benedict, Eric, 2025. "Transitioning to a sustainable economy: A preliminary degrowth macroeconomic model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    11. Louis Daumas, 2024. "Financial stability, stranded assets and the low‐carbon transition – A critical review of the theoretical and applied literatures," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 601-716, July.
    12. Liebich, Lena & Nöh, Lukas & Rutkowski, Felix & Schwarz, Milena, 2020. "Current developments in green finance," Working Papers 05/2020, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung.
    13. De Nicolò, Michele & Fraccascia, Luca & Pontrandolfo, Pierpaolo, 2024. "How the energy procurement switching strategies (driven by the Russia-Ukraine conflict) impact the global sustainability? The global sustainability dashboard," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    14. Wei Jiang & Chunxing Gao & Julien Chevallier & Jiangnan Bao, 2025. "Empirical analysis of spillover effects across key carbon-emitting sectors using quantile regression: perspectives from China," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 5(10), pages 1-25, October.
    15. Magacho, Guilherme & Espagne, Etienne & Godin, Antoine & Mantes, Achilleas & Yilmaz, Devrim, 2023. "Macroeconomic exposure of developing economies to low-carbon transition," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    16. Magacho, Guilherme & Spinola, Danilo, 2025. "Integrating Ecological, Productive, and Macrofinancial Spheres with ESTEEM: A System Dynamics Framework to Assess Brazil’s Transformation Plan," CAFE Working Papers 38, Centre for Accountancy, Finance and Economics (CAFE), Birmingham City Business School, Birmingham City University.
    17. Zheng, Huiling & Zhou, Jinsheng & Gao, Xiangyun & Xi, Xian & Liu, Donghui & Zhao, Yiran, 2021. "Global impacts of the topological structure of industrial driving networks on energy intensity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    18. Ipsen, Leonhard & Aminian, Armin & Schulz, Jan, 2025. "Stress-testing Inflation Exposure: Systemically significant prices and asymmetric shock propagation in the EU," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 713-724.
    19. Samartzidis, Lasare & Mundt, Philipp & Schulz-Gebhard, Jan, 2024. "Input specificity and labor's bargaining power: A production tree approach to functional income distribution," BERG Working Paper Series 198, Bamberg University, Bamberg Economic Research Group.
    20. Stefano Di Bucchianico & Federica Cappelli, 2021. "Exploring the theoretical link between profitability and luxury emissions," Working Papers PKWP2114, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    21. Eric Kemp‐Benedict, 2020. "Convergence of actual, warranted, and natural growth rates in a Kaleckian–Harrodian‐classical model," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(4), pages 851-881, November.
    22. Hao Dong & Tao Li, 2023. "Climate Economics and Finance: A Literature Review," Climate Economics and Finance, Anser Press, vol. 1(1), pages 29-45, November.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C67 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Input-Output Models
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

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