Multi-regional Input Output Research Articles

Have consumption-based CO2 emissions in developed countries peaked?

This study innovatively divided consumption-based CO2 emissions of developed countries into domestic and foreign components using an environmentally extended multi-regional input–output model, and revealed their different driving factors using the structural decomposition analysis method. The results showed that the consumption-based emission peaked in 16 developed countries, with 14 countries peaking around 2008. Domestic emissions in all 16 developed countries had peaked, most of which accounted for 40–70% of the total consumption-based emissions. However, the foreign emissions driven by 9 peaking countries still kept increasing. Regarding domestic emissions, the decline of domestic carbon intensity was the main driving factor across 16 peaking countries. In terms of foreign emissions, carbon intensity decline, especially in main medium- and low-income countries, was the dominant factor in the CO2 emissions decrease. Significant improvements in production technology levels of medium-income countries played a key role in weakening the carbon-increasing effects of foreign emissions during the post-peak period. Thus, to further promote global carbon emissions to peak as soon as possible, peaking developed countries should provide more emission reduction funds and technologies to support the decline in carbon intensity and the improvement of production technology in medium- and low-income countries.

The European regions in the global value chains: New results with new data

AbstractThis article contains the methodology and main results related to the update and extension of the widest interregional input–output tables for the entire EU27, UK and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. This work continues the outstanding effort developed in the past years regarding the estimation and analysis of different multiregional input–output (MRIO) databases at the country level (world input–output database, EXIOBASE, ICIO, FIGARO, etc.) and the MRIO tables developed for the European Union (EU) at the NUTS2 level. The main contribution consists of updating and extending the current EUREGIO collection to obtain a EUREGIO table for 2017, which will be referred (NUTS‐2 Rev.2016) for all the EU27 + UK + EFTA countries and will be embedded in the new FIGARO multicountry 2017. Such effort was developed in the context of the ESPON‐IRIE project. This article summarises the methodology used and compares the results obtained with the ones of the main benchmarks, providing an analysis of the national and regional participation in the global value chains (GVCs). The main results suggest that, on average, 65% of value added is embodied in the goods and services sold to the same NUTS‐2 region, 16% is embodied in the ones sold to regions in the same country and the remaining 20% is exported (to other countries). Exploring the heterogeneity within these figures can also be seen that the variety is higher across regions than across sectors. Our analysis suggests that, to a large extent, the heterogeneous participation of EU27 + UK + EFTA regions in the GVCs is explained by their sectoral structure more than by the regional idiosyncratic characteristics. Such results open the floor for the correct design of industrial policies, embedded in the smart specialisation paradigm.

Changes in the socio-economic characteristics of households can decouple carbon emissions and consumption growth in China

The increasing consumption in developing countries poses a significant challenge to global climate change mitigation efforts. Understanding household characteristics is essential in exploring potential strategies to decouple carbon emissions from the increasing consumption. In this study, we utilized the multi-region input-output (MRIO) method to calculate household carbon emissions in China for the years 2012, 2016, and 2018. Using micro-level household survey data, we identified variations in carbon emissions among households with different economic levels and socioeconomic characteristics. Our analysis revealed that changes in household consumption structure and carbon intensity among households with improved economic levels, could result in a reduction of carbon emissions by 14 % to 19 %. Furthermore, households characterized by higher education levels, larger family sizes, and smaller housing units were found to generate lower carbon emissions per capita and per unit of consumption spending. By simulating household carbon emissions up to 2030, we identified three potential pathways to achieve decoupling: household economic upgrading, transitioning to low-carbon household characteristics, and reducing material consumption. Our findings indicate that even with a projected 75 % increase in per capita consumption volume by 2030, per capita household carbon emissions could still be lower than the levels observed in 2016. These results underscore the potential of consumption-focused policy measures in facilitating the decoupling of household consumption from carbon emissions.

Examining the relationship between meteorological disaster economic impact and regional economic development in China

Economic impact of disaster is closely related to regional economic development, and the relationship between the two has been summarized as Kuznets or inverted-U curve. In this curve, direct and indirect economic loss (DEL, IEL) are the two key indicators to quantify the economic impact of disasters. However, due to the lack of input-output analysis, existing studies often ignore the importance of IEL. Therefore, based on the regional DEL of meteorological disasters in China from 2003 to 2019, this study quantitatively assesses the IEL due to the ripple effects of inter-regional industrial linkages by constructing the multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model. Study found that: (1) Economic impact of disasters is more severe in less developed inland areas and half as severe in more developed coastal areas. (2) Agriculture in less developed inland areas is more vulnerable and its DEL is higher than IEL, i.e., agricultural IEL in northwest is 41.6 % of DEL; while the secondary industry in more developed coastal areas has a more severe IEL. (3) Economic impact of disasters and economic development in China conform to the inverted-U curve, and has exceeded the peak of the curve and began to decline, economic impact has decreased by 77.8 % during study period with economic level increased by 6.6 times. In conclusion, China's economic development is conducive to reducing disaster economic impact, but regional differences need to be made clear in the formulation of policies, reducing the indirect impact should be more of a regional disaster reduction priority in more developed areas.

Interprovincial agricultural water footprint in China: Spatial pattern, driving forces and implications for water resource management

The increasing domestic grain trade is prompting the regional transmission of agricultural virtual water in China. Understanding the factors driving this flow is important for mitigating the agricultural water footprint (AWF). Nevertheless, comprehending the water flow within China's agricultural industry and spatial relationship between driving factors and the flow has been lacking. This study employs the multiregional input-output (MRIO) method and geographical detector to examine China's interprovincial AWF and the influencing factors in 2012, 2015 and 2017. The results indicate a decrease in China's AWF from 390.27 billion m3 in 2012 to 376.62 billion m3 in 2017, with an increasing proportion involved in provincial transfer. The spatial pattern of AWF is generally high in the north of China, with Xinjiang and Heilongjiang as the largest AWF provinces over the three years. The average intensity of AWF (AWFI) decreased from 107.44 m3/thousand yuan in 2012 to and 81.25 m3/thousand yuan in 2017, which indicating an improve of agricultural efficiency in terms of water use per agricultural output. Over 42 % of China's AWF is transferred between regions, highlighting the significance of remote interactions in terms of agricultural virtual water. However, the agricultural water flow pattern lacks rationality, primarily moving from water-deficient areas to water-rich areas. Factors representing regional agricultural development determine the distribution of AWF and the outflow, while the social and economic factors significantly influence AWFI and the virtual water inflow. Based on the results, suggestions for reducing AWF and optimizing water flow were proposed from both producers' and consumers' perspectives. Producers are advised to decreased chemical fertilizers usage, promote efficient irrigation technologies, and optimize planting structures, while consumers should adjust dietary patterns to reduce water-intensive consumption, raise awareness about the water-saving consumption, and establish ecological compensation standards based on AWF.

Examining inequities in species loss due to land use in China from an interregional trade perspective

The escalating impact of land use pressures indicates we've exceeded the proposed safe planetary boundary. Economic shifts and increased trade drive China's demand for agricultural and forestry products, land-use changes, and subsequent biodiversity damage often occur far from where they are consumed. Given many species in China are endemic or endangered, neglecting these interconnected economic trends threatens its biodiversity conservation targets. Here, we first quantify species loss due to six land use types embodied in the life cycle at the Chinese sub-national level. Then, a Chinese high-resolution multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model was used to link threatened species to key industrial sectors in the supply chain, tracking the spatiotemporal patterns of land use species loss embodied in Chinese trade from 2007 to 2017. Our results reveal a 6% increase in aggregated species loss in China during the study period. This subtle change in species loss footprints in recent years is partially due to increases in consumption levels being offset by reductions in species loss intensity, though drivers vary by region. Notably, the Northwest and Southwest, known for their high species richness, suffer the greatest inequalities in species loss. The domestic species loss transfer most apparent in the outsourcing from the Eastern Coast to the Southwest. The Southwest registered the highest territory-based species loss, particularly for amphibians, while the highest impacts in the supply chain are associated with Forestry, logging, and related activities. Our analysis underscores the need for enhanced provincial dialogue to systematically value and monitor biodiversity, a key natural capital, and encourage its conservation. Our study effectively monitors the consumption-based species losses across China, which can further improve knowledge and dialogue on ecological challenges associated with trade.

A holistic analysis of China's consumption-based water footprint (2012–2017) from a multilevel perspective

As the world's second-largest economy, rapid socioeconomic development in China has exerted unprecedented pressure on water resources. However, there is still uncertainty regarding consumption-based water footprint (CWF) assessment across different spatiotemporal scales, especially those differentiated by green, blue, and grey water footprints. To address this knowledge gap, this study employed a multi-regional input–output (MRIO) model and structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to quantify the spatiotemporal dynamics and key drivers of consumption-based green (GCWF), blue (BCWF), and grey (HCWF) water footprints in mainland China during 2012–2017. The main findings of the study are as follows. (1) The HCWF is approximately 4.4 times greater than the sum of the GCWF and BCWF, with water consumption caused by pollution significantly exceeding direct consumption. However, there was a significant decrease in all three CWFs after 2015, particularly HCWF. (2) The spatial distribution pattern of the CWF shows high values in the east and south and low values in the west and north, while virtual water (VW) transfer through commodity trade occurs mainly from inland to coastal regions. (3) The three highest water-consuming sectors were agriculture, food and tobacco processing, and construction, accounting for over 70% of the total water consumption. (4) Water efficiency and consumption patterns are crucial factors in reducing CWF, while affluence levels have the greatest impact on increasing CWF, followed by changes in industrial structure after 2015. Overall, the results of this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of China's regional and sectoral water consumption throughout the supply chain. In addition, our findings identified regions and sectors with high water consumption and their drivers, which can inform policy decisions and contribute to synergistic cross-regional regulation and sustainable water resources management.

Evaluation and driving force analysis of the water-energy‑carbon nexus in agricultural trade for RCEP countries

Water utilization, energy consumption, and carbon emissions are mutually intertwined and play vital roles in agricultural supply chains. Identifying the water-energy‑carbon (WEC) nexus relationships along with its driving forces is of great importance to alleviate resource scarcity and advance a green economy. This study utilizes multiregional input–output (MRIO) analysis and proposes a new indicator, nexus intensity, to investigate the relationship among water, energy, and carbon flows in agricultural trade; furthermore, it modifies the gravity trade model to explore the hidden driving forces for the WEC nexus. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries are used as a case study, and the results show that large volumes of WEC flow roughly from the southeast to the northwest. China plays an active role in agricultural trade, contributing 53.34%, 62.00%, and 64.09% of RCEP agriculture-related water utilization, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, respectively. For nexus intensity on the production side, countries with less agriculture-related WEC tend to have extreme situations of extreme resource utilization or emissions. Such situations have become more balanced on the consumption side. Exporters exert a greater impact on agricultural trade than importers. Small population countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Cambodia serve as granaries for other countries. In addition, countries with higher carbon emissions tend to import carbon-intensive products from other countries. By analyzing the linkages between water, energy, and carbon associated with agricultural products and excavating driving forces, this study provides insights for nexus management on improving resource use efficiency and reducing carbon emissions through transnational trade.

Transition towards dual control of CO2 emissions and intensity through supply chain management in China

To mitigate global climate change and achieve CO2 emissions reduction goals, China proposed to shift to dual control of total CO2 emissions (CE) and CO2 emissions intensity (CEI) as early as possible. Accurately assessing provincial sectoral CE and CEI and developing reasonable regulatory strategies is a prerequisite for achieving the goal of dual control. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis from different perspectives of the supply chain. Therefore, this paper evaluates the CE and CEI in provincial sectors of China in 2017 from production-based and consumption-based perspectives according to multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model. Then, we analyze the supply chain of transmission sector by betweenness-based method as a supplementary perspective. The results show that: (1) The CE and CEI from different perspectives are different and can complement each other. (2) Production and distribution of electric power and heat power in Inner Mongolia (P5D24), construction in Jiangsu (P10D27), distribution of electric power and heat power in Beijing (P1D24) are the critical sectors for dual control of CE and CEI from production, consumption, betweenness-based perspectives, respectively. (3) Construction in Jiangsu (P10D27) and Shanxi (P4D27) have the highest embodied CE and CEI in China respectively. Energy and raw material sectors from upstream supply chain contribute large CE to construction sectors. This research suggests that paying attention to critical sectors from different perspectives of the supply chain and taking different measures to decrease CO2 emissions. Taking both CE and CEI into consideration and allocating CO2 emissions reduction pressures reasonably among provincial sectors. At the same time, taking care of relevant upstream sectors of the supply chain to help a single sector achieve CO2 emissions reduction goals and promote China's transition to dual control of CE and CEI.

Analysis of the characteristics and influencing factors of China's embodied energy flow network

Understanding the flow of embodied energy between provinces in China and the factors affecting the network has an important impact on reducing energy consumption in each province and promoting balanced regional development. This paper uses the multi-regional input–output model to construct the interprovincial embodied energy flow network in China and defines the energy flow between provinces under the trade of products and services. Then, it uses the ecological network model to carry out the ascendency and network environ analysis of the interprovincial embodied energy flow network in China and uses the Quadratic Assignment Procedure regression model to calculate the impact of various factors on the flow network. The main research conclusions are as follows: (1) The embodied energy flow in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River is relatively high. The embodied energy flow value in Ningxia and Qinghai is low. Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu often have the highest embodied energy outflow value, while Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and other provinces have higher inflows. (2) The center of gravity of through flow in the flow system is biased to Jiangsu, Guangdong, and other places; Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, and Hainan are at the edge of the system. (3) The differences in the economic development level, population size, and energy structure have a positive impact on the embodied energy flow network between provinces in China; the geographic distance will have a negative impact on the flow network.

Identifying the Critical Supply Chains for Black Carbon and CO2 in the Sichuan Urban Agglomeration of Southwest China

Black carbon (BC) and CO2 emissions are the two major factors responsible for global climate change and the associated health risks. Quantifying the impact of economic activities in urban agglomerations on BC and CO2 emissions is essential for finding a balance between climate change mitigation and pollution reduction. In this study, we utilized a city-level environmental extended multi-regional input–output model (EE-MRIO), integrated nexus strength (INS), and structural path analysis (SPA) to quantify the BC and CO2 footprints, nexus nodes, and supply chains of 21 cities in the Sichuan urban agglomeration (SUA) from 2012 to 2017. The results revealed that approximately 70% of the BC and CO2 footprints come from inter-city transactions, with Chengdu being the largest importing city, while the supply of other cities was greater than their consumption. The SUA has transitioned from a supply-side city cluster to a consumption-oriented city cluster in its trade with other domestic regions. The SPA analysis highlighted that the construction sector was the largest emitter of downstream BC and CO2, while the electricity supply, metal/nonmetallic manufacture, oil refining and coking, transportation, and extraction industry sectors were the main nexus nodes for BC and CO2 emissions in the SUA. Notably, the reduction in BC emissions was due to decreased indirect emissions from oil refining and coking, while the decrease in CO2 emissions was a result of reduced indirect emissions from electricity supply. This article presents, for the first time, a quantification of the heterogeneous impacts and emission supply chains of BC and CO2 emissions from economic activities in the SUA, providing valuable insights for developing climate mitigation policies tailored to different urban clusters.

Assessment of carbon footprint in Qatar's electricity sector: A comparative analysis across various building typologies

Carbon footprint (CF) estimation has emerged as an integral tool for greenhouse gas (GHG) management, providing direction for emission reduction strategies and verification processes. Since capturing the full lifecycle emissions of goods and services at the city level can be methodologically challenging due to the fact that cities have multiple sources of emissions (e.g. transportation, waste, buildings), our study focused on evaluating the carbon footprint of various types of urban buildings across six sectors. This evaluation was conducted in one of the most rapidly urbanized cities in the Middle East, Doha City, Qatar, and was based on electricity consumption data from 2017 to 2020. Using multiregional input–output life cycle assessment (MRIO-LCA) and hot/coldspot analysis, this study identified CF emission spatiotemporal patterns and the major buildings responsible for the highest emissions. The results indicated that residential villas and the commercial sector had the highest electricity consumption and steady increases in CF emissions during the study period, whereas hotels had the lowest annual electricity consumption among all sectors. The study also identified significant CF emission hotspots from Doha residential buildings in the southwestern and northeastern areas. In contrast, the CF hotspots from commercial buildings were concentrated in the industrial area in the southern part of the city and in the West Bay area in the eastern part. Overall, the findings of this study provide important policy implications and a comprehensive assessment of dynamic changes in CF emissions from different building types.

Recycling sludge in agriculture? Assessing sustainability of nutrient recovery in Italy

Abstract Using a hybrid multi-regional input–output approach, we traced sustainability footprints of a nutrient recovery strategy from sewage sludge applied in Italy. We then compared the results with the most common landfilling practice. Overall, accounting for indirect global upstream effects, using sewage sludge for organic fertiliser production generates more jobs and reduces more greenhouse gas emissions than landfilling. By contrast, landfilling stimulates the whole economy more, generating higher indirect turnover and reduces energy carrier use more. Finally, we accounted for uncertainties in these results using an error propagation method based on Monte Carlo simulations.

Transfer of embodied carbon emissions from provincial transportation industry in China

This study employs a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model to measure these emissions and examines the growth and transfer patterns of embodied carbon in the transportation sector across different regions of China. Then we utilize Structure Decomposition Analysis (SDA) to identify the driving factors behind the observed emissions patterns. The findings of the study indicate that the transfer of inter-provincial transportation embodied carbon emissions follows a general trend of shifting from economically developed areas to underdeveloped areas along the industrial chain. The study also highlights that the per capita demand structure plays a crucial role in driving the increase in transportation embodied carbon emissions. On the other hand, the study identifies the direct carbon emission coefficient as a key factor that inhibits the rise in transportation embodied carbon emissions.

Comparative Analysis of Trade’s Impact on Agricultural Carbon Emissions in China and the United States

Accelerating economic globalization is a major driver of the transfer of embodied pollutant emissions from trade. China and the United States are currently the largest importers and exporters of agricultural products, respectively, and are also major producers and consumers of these products. This paper aims to analyze and compare the patterns of embodied agricultural carbon emissions (ACE) in the two countries, which is crucial for understanding how trade influences the transfer of such emissions. In this study, we calculated the embodied ACE of China and the United States from the perspectives of production and consumption for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2016 by establishing a multi-regional input–output (MRIO) model. Additionally, we employed the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition method to analyze the driving factors behind the changes in embodied ACE over time. The findings indicated that the embodied ACE associated with imports and exports in China and the United States followed a pattern of increase and subsequent decrease during the period 1970–2016, with net imports escalating from −18.79 million tons and −3.62 million tons to 40.35 million tons and 51.22 million tons, respectively. This study identified two main factors contributing to the reduction in embodied ACE in both countries: the declining intensity of embodied ACE per unit of traded products and the diminishing proportion of the primary industry. The growth in GDP per capita, population expansion, and an increase in the proportion of agricultural products in international trade are predicted to promote an increase in embodied ACE imports and exports in both countries. This paper advocates for the reduction of embodied ACE through the continuous promotion of research and application of energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies, an optimized industrial structure, and the implementation of relevant energy-saving and emission-reduction policies.

Quantification and spatial pattern of embodied CO2 footprint of prefabricated buildings in urban agglomerations: A case study of Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, China

Prefabricated buildings (PBs) boost a productive and sustainable construction industry transition and can influence the carbon footprint of the construction sector. With China's continued urbanization, an expanding PB sector is foreseeable, exerting substantial carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation pressure. By using the Chinese Industrial Ecology Lab technology, we developed a hybrid multi-regional input‒output model that integrates a bottom-up inventory of building materials into China's 2017 economic system to quantify PB-embodied CO2 emissions in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration. Two structural types (shear wall and frame-shear wall) with four prefabrication rates (15%, 30%, 50%, and 60%) were considered. The results showed an average of 756 kg/m2 PB-embodied CO2 emissions in the urban agglomeration, with Tianjin (488 kg/m2) and Zhangjiakou (1271 kg/m2) showing the lowest and highest values, respectively. Approximately 60% of PB-embodied CO2 emissions were generated within the urban agglomeration, and Tangshan, Handan, and Zhangjiakou were the major contributors. The PB-embodied CO2 footprint was dominated by electricity and heat generation (42%), non-metal mineral products (27%), and metal smelting and processing (15%). The results revealed the spatial pattern of PB-embodied CO2 footprint in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration and identified key emission sectors in the PB supply chain, contributing to low-carbon PB delivery in China.

Equitable Global Value Chain and Production Network as a Driver for Enhanced Sustainability in Developing Economies

Recent studies on the global value chain (GVC) have highlighted the need to better integrate the value chains of developing countries of the global South with that of the global North regions, which are more highly developed. This is aimed at enhancing the economic and social sustainable upgrading of the value chains of the global South regions. The paper thus seeks to answer a critical question as to whether the existing GVC set-up pertaining to global North and South countries is equitable and whether it would yield the needed socio-economic and wider sustainable benefits, particularly to global South countries. a conceptual Global Value Chain (GVC) model is developed based on the economy-wide and system-based Multi-Regional Input–Output methodology to achieve this goal. Subsequently, this was empirically tested to measure embodied flows in capital and labour for sustainable development between global North and South regions. These are achieved using the GVC networks of the UK (from the global North) and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa (from the global South) to exemplify these developments. With implications for equitable, sustainable development, our study shows significant imbalances exist in the flows of value added activities from the global South to the global North, particularly in the primary industries, which produce low-value products in their raw state. Subsequently, this creates a disproportionate economic disadvantage for South countries. As such, if global South countries are to fully benefit from GVC, the study shows that these imbalances must be addressed, such as through structural changes in the economies of global South countries from their dependencies on the primary industries.

Towards a low-carbon future for China’s power supply chain: Critical sectors identification and scenario analysis

The power sector is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions and has received widespread attention from scholars; however, the path to achieving supply chain-wide carbon reductions in China from a provincial perspective remains unclear. This study combined multi-regional input–output and betweenness-based methods to identify the critical upstream sectors that indirectly drive large amounts of carbon emissions through power supply chains. The point source data of coal-fired units were collected to ensure the accuracy of the disaggregated input–output table. In addition, a scenario analysis was conducted to examine the effects of different electricity policy combinations on supply chain-wide emissions during the 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP). Our findings indicate that the embodied carbon intensity of the coal-fired power sector in Northwest China is among the highest in the country, ranging from 36.39 to 82.10 tons/10000 CNY. Therefore, the shift of the power sector to Western China during the 14th FYP will partially offset the positive emission reduction effect of the structural transformation of the power system. To achieve a low-carbon power supply chain, it is necessary to improve the production efficiency of critical transmission sectors and the low-carbon technology levels of major emitting sectors. Our results provide valuable insights for provincial governments to plan low-carbon transformation paths for the power sector.

Collaborative management of the energy-water-carbon footprint: analysing the spatial network characteristics

Water and energy consumption and carbon emissions caused by humans have vital impacts on the natural environment. Due to the dramatic global environmental pollution problem, understanding the relationship between these factors is emerging as an important approach to realising sustainable development. However, with the strengthening of interregional trade links, it is difficult to manage and evaluate their relationship. Therefore, from the perspective of regional and industrial sectors, using the multiregional input-output (MRIO) model and social network analysis (SNA), our research explores an innovative analytical methodology to evaluate the characteristics of the energy-water-carbon spatial network, and a scheme is proposed to improve it. The results demonstrate that the characteristics of water scarcity and energy enrichment could lead to a net inflow of the water footprint and a net outflow of the energy and carbon footprints. Moreover, traditional high-energy-consumption industrial sectors contribute significantly to the energy and carbon footprints. The energy-water-carbon spatial network correlation is low and unstable, and it lacks rationalisation and balance in resource-based areas. Network-based energy-water-carbon research provides more insights toward understanding the carbon emission reduction responsibilities of industrial supply chains. Our findings provide a reference for reducing the energy-water-carbon footprint and achieving the carbon reduction goal of China.

Ecosystem services footprint of international trade: Economic value of ecosystem services lost due to crop production

Agricultural activities utilize provisioning ecosystem services while degrading nature’s contributions to people of natural ecosystems. These impacts are partly driven by international trade and consumption abroad. The objective of this Communication is to introduce the concept of the ecosystem services footprint and provide a pilot calculation of the economic value of ecosystem services lost due to land conversion and production of crops, which are either directly traded internationally or enter supply chains of international trade and are induced by final demand abroad. We report the ecosystem services loss footprint for 49 countries and world regions based on a multi-regional input–output analysis. We found that ecosystem services loss due to crop production for international trade is valued at $5.1 trillion per year. Consumption in China, United States and Middle East induce the highest absolute loss of value of ecosystem services. The main exporters include Asia and Pacific, Indonesia and Africa. The largest trade flow was identified between the Asia and Pacific region and Western Europe with an embodied value of ecosystem services loss of $397 billion per year. Bringing to light the monetary value of ecosystem services lost due to international trade can stimulate and contribute to the design of strategies to reduce the impact of consumption and thus to lightening our footprint on natural ecosystems.