IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/diw/diwwpp/dp2172.html

Globalized Consumption Undermines Efficiency-driven Sustainability Gains across Planetary Boundaries

Author

Listed:
  • Sonja Dobkowitz
  • Claudia Kemfert
  • Alexander Kriwoluzky
  • Georg Maxton
  • Laura Schmitz
  • Kristin Trautmann

Abstract

Despite decades of ambitious environmental policy, German consumption has continuously exceeded planetary-boundary thresholds in six of seven environmental dimensions since 1995, with little improvement over time. Combining environmentally extended multiregional input–output tables with life-cycle impact assessment, we develop a consumptionbased sustainability indicator across seven impact categories, benchmarked against national planetary-boundary thresholds. Decomposing impacts into scale and impact intensity per euro of production, we find that imports embody more impact per euro than domestic production in every category. A rising import share thus slows aggregate efficiency gains even as intensities fall in both origins, and the growing scale of imports offsets them altogether. We show that had the import share remained at its 1995 level, cumulative impact growth from 1995 to 2022 would have been 12.9 to 96.8 percentage points lower across categories.

Suggested Citation

  • Sonja Dobkowitz & Claudia Kemfert & Alexander Kriwoluzky & Georg Maxton & Laura Schmitz & Kristin Trautmann, 2026. "Globalized Consumption Undermines Efficiency-driven Sustainability Gains across Planetary Boundaries," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2172, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp2172
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.1013999.de/dp2172.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maxime Agez & Elliot Muller & Laure Patouillard & Carl‐Johan H. Södersten & Anders Arvesen & Manuele Margni & Réjean Samson & Guillaume Majeau‐Bettez, 2022. "Correcting remaining truncations in hybrid life cycle assessment database compilation," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(1), pages 121-133, February.
    2. M. Lenzen & D. Moran & K. Kanemoto & B. Foran & L. Lobefaro & A. Geschke, 2012. "International trade drives biodiversity threats in developing nations," Nature, Nature, vol. 486(7401), pages 109-112, June.
    3. Yann Robiou du Pont & M. Louise Jeffery & Johannes Gütschow & Joeri Rogelj & Peter Christoff & Malte Meinshausen, 2017. "Correction: Corrigendum: Equitable mitigation to achieve the Paris Agreement goals," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(2), pages 153-153, February.
    4. Andrew L. Fanning & Daniel W. O’Neill & Jason Hickel & Nicolas Roux, 2022. "The social shortfall and ecological overshoot of nations," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 26-36, January.
    5. Wiedmann, Thomas, 2009. "A review of recent multi-region input-output models used for consumption-based emission and resource accounting," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 211-222, December.
    6. Thomas Wiedmann & Manfred Lenzen & Lorenz T. Keyßer & Julia K. Steinberger, 2020. "Scientists’ warning on affluence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Yann Robiou du Pont & M. Louise Jeffery & Johannes Gütschow & Joeri Rogelj & Peter Christoff & Malte Meinshausen, 2017. "Equitable mitigation to achieve the Paris Agreement goals," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 38-43, January.
    8. Dietzenbacher, Erik & Kulionis, Viktoras & Capurro, Filippo, 2020. "Measuring the effects of energy transition: A structural decomposition analysis of the change in renewable energy use between 2000 and 2014," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    9. Joseph S. Shapiro & Reed Walker, 2018. "Why Is Pollution from US Manufacturing Declining? The Roles of Environmental Regulation, Productivity, and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(12), pages 3814-3854, December.
    10. Theo Junius & Jan Oosterhaven, 2003. "The Solution of Updating or Regionalizing a Matrix with both Positive and Negative Entries," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 87-96, March.
    11. Daniel W. O’Neill & Andrew L. Fanning & William F. Lamb & Julia K. Steinberger, 2018. "A good life for all within planetary boundaries," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(2), pages 88-95, February.
    12. Konstantin Stadler & Richard Wood & Tatyana Bulavskaya & Carl†Johan Södersten & Moana Simas & Sarah Schmidt & Arkaitz Usubiaga & José Acosta†Fernández & Jeroen Kuenen & Martin Bruckner & Stefan, 2018. "EXIOBASE 3: Developing a Time Series of Detailed Environmentally Extended Multi†Regional Input†Output Tables," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(3), pages 502-515, June.
    13. Anjila Wegge Hjalsted & Alexis Laurent & Martin Marchman Andersen & Karen Holm Olsen & Morten Ryberg & Michael Hauschild, 2021. "Sharing the safe operating space: Exploring ethical allocation principles to operationalize the planetary boundaries and assess absolute sustainability at individual and industrial sector levels," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(1), pages 6-19, February.
    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. Ivanova, Diana & Wieland, Hanspeter, 2023. "Tracing carbon footprints to intermediate industries in the United Kingdom," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    2. Gebara, C.H. & Laurent, A., 2023. "National SDG-7 performance assessment to support achieving sustainable energy for all within planetary limits," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    3. Infante-Amate, Juan & Travieso, Emiliano & Aguilera, Eduardo, 2024. "Unsustainable prosperity? Decoupling wellbeing, economic growth, and greenhouse gas emissions over the past 150 years," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    4. Tallgauer, Maximilian & Schank, Christoph, 2024. "Challenging the growth-prosperity Nexus: Redefining undergraduate economics education for the Anthropocene," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    5. van Hoften, Felix & Pouw, Nicky & Rammelt, Crelis, 2026. "Bridging beyond GDP and degrowth: Identifying measurements that are fit for future," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    6. Milena Büchs & Noel Cass & Caroline Mullen & Karen Lucas & Diana Ivanova, 2023. "Emissions savings from equitable energy demand reduction," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(7), pages 758-769, July.
    7. Gilles, Enrique & Cortés, Darwin & Monsalve, Fabio, 2026. "The carbon cost of rising incomes: Evidence from a middle-income country," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    8. Karen Bell & Jason Hickel & Rob Arbon & Huzaifa Zoomkawala, 2023. "Which direction for sustainable development? A time series comparison of the impacts of redistributive versus market policies in Bolivia and South Korea," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(5), pages 3408-3427, October.
    9. Benedikt Bruckner & Klaus Hubacek & Yuli Shan & Honglin Zhong & Kuishuang Feng, 2022. "Impacts of poverty alleviation on national and global carbon emissions," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 5(4), pages 311-320, April.
    10. Teddy Serrano & Sandra Aparcana & Fatemeh Bakhtiari & Alexis Laurent, 2021. "Contribution of circular economy strategies to climate change mitigation: Generic assessment methodology with focus on developing countries," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(6), pages 1382-1397, December.
    11. Gómez-Alvarez Díaz, M. Rosario & Pérez León, Víctor Ernesto & Fuentes Saguar, Patricia, 2024. "How close are European countries to the doughnut-shaped safe and just space? Evidence from 26 EU countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    12. Thomas Wiedmann, 2017. "An input–output virtual laboratory in practice – survey of uptake, usage and applications of the first operational IELab," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 296-312, April.
    13. Leal Silva, Jean Felipe & Nogueira, Luiz Augusto Horta & Cantarella, Heitor & Rossetto, Raffaella & Maciel Filho, Rubens & Souza, Glaucia Mendes, 2025. "Meta-data analysis of biofuels in emerging markets of Africa and Asia: Greenhouse gas savings and economic feasibility," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    14. Simon Schulte & Arthur Jakobs & Stefan Pauliuk, 2021. "Relaxing the import proportionality assumption in multi-regional input–output modelling," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, December.
    15. 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).
    16. Duro, Juan Antonio & Ramirez, Noemí & Wieland, Hanspeter & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Haberl, Helmut, 2025. "Global inequalities in countries' demand for raw materials: Twenty years of expansion and insufficient convergence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    17. Castro, Damaris & Bleys, Brent, 2023. "Do people think they have enough? A subjective income sufficiency assessment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    18. Hametner, Markus, 2022. "Economics without ecology: How the SDGs fail to align socioeconomic development with environmental sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    19. Khabbazan, Mohammad M. & von Hirschhausen, Christian, 2021. "The implication of the Paris targets for the Middle East through different cooperation options," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    20. repec:plo:pone00:0242283 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Ríos-Ocampo, Juan Pablo & Cunico, Giovanni & Gary, Michael Shayne, 2026. "Fragmentation and complexity as obstacles to the beyond GDP transition," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • C67 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Input-Output Models
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:diw:diwwpp:dp2172. 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: Bibliothek (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/diwbede.html .

    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.