Description

In the present paper, we estimate the carbon footprint of Chilean industries in terms of CO2 equivalent for a set of greenhouse gases, using an input-output approach that accounts for the different electricity generation technologies. The objective of this study is to provide a methodology to measure the carbon footprint and to contribute to the analysis of the reduction of emissions and the effect that different sectors make to this purpose. Our results show that, for the year 2017, the generation of electricity based on coal and the manufacturing industry are located as the largest direct emitters of CO2, while in terms of carbon footprint, the manufacturing industry and mining show the highest levels of incorporated CO2. Regarding final demand, exports have the highest share of the carbon footprint, mainly explained by the orientation towards the external market of mining and part of the manufacturing industry.