UNCTAD Data: The Consumption-based Carbon Footprint Indicator by Country
UNCTAD Data - The Consumption-based Carbon Footprint As the global community faces escalating climate pressures, UN Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ) is championing a shift in how we measure environmental impact. While traditional metrics focus on where smoke leaves a chimney, the Consumption-based Carbon Footprint (CBCF) indicator reveals the true driver of emissions: global consumer demand. The Logic Behind the Metric Most international climate agreements rely on production-based emissions , which count CO no₂ released within a nation’s physical borders. However, in an era of hyper-globalized supply chains, this provides an incomplete picture. The CBCF indicator corrects this by tracking "embedded carbon"—the emissions generated during the production of goods and services, regardless of where they are made, and attributing them to the final consumer. The calculation follows a clear logic: Consumption Emissions = Territorial Emissions - Emissions in Exports + Emissions i...