Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Foreign trade and declining pollution in Sweden: a decomposition analysis of long-term structural and technological effects

Kander, Astrid LU and Lindmark, M (2006) In Energy Policy 34(13). p.1590-1599
Abstract
This article examines whether there exists any causal relationship between foreign trade and declining pollution in developed countries. In other words, do developed countries outsource their problems to less developed countries rather than solve them? The case study is the Swedish economy and the two environmental indicators employed are energy consumption and CO2 emissions. No causal relationships are found, since Sweden has long been a net exporter of embodied energy and CO2 and continues to be so after 1970, when energy consumption stabilizes and CO, emissions decline. In addition, the ratios of net exported energy and CO2 to total consumption remain stable, which means there were no effects on the energy intensity or CO, intensity... (More)
This article examines whether there exists any causal relationship between foreign trade and declining pollution in developed countries. In other words, do developed countries outsource their problems to less developed countries rather than solve them? The case study is the Swedish economy and the two environmental indicators employed are energy consumption and CO2 emissions. No causal relationships are found, since Sweden has long been a net exporter of embodied energy and CO2 and continues to be so after 1970, when energy consumption stabilizes and CO, emissions decline. In addition, the ratios of net exported energy and CO2 to total consumption remain stable, which means there were no effects on the energy intensity or CO, intensity either. These results suggest that internal forces, like efficiency improvements, changed consumption patterns and transformation of the energy system, have been crucial for relative environmental improvement in Sweden, while foreign trade has played no role. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
environmental kuznets curve, carbon dioxide, energy foreign trade
in
Energy Policy
volume
34
issue
13
pages
1590 - 1599
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000237215400014
  • scopus:33645912928
ISSN
1873-6777
DOI
10.1016/j.enpol.2004.12.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9bc25f65-3b5b-4543-a65e-1ba69db49d6a (old id 410482)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:19:25
date last changed
2022-02-27 06:25:46
@article{9bc25f65-3b5b-4543-a65e-1ba69db49d6a,
  abstract     = {{This article examines whether there exists any causal relationship between foreign trade and declining pollution in developed countries. In other words, do developed countries outsource their problems to less developed countries rather than solve them? The case study is the Swedish economy and the two environmental indicators employed are energy consumption and CO2 emissions. No causal relationships are found, since Sweden has long been a net exporter of embodied energy and CO2 and continues to be so after 1970, when energy consumption stabilizes and CO, emissions decline. In addition, the ratios of net exported energy and CO2 to total consumption remain stable, which means there were no effects on the energy intensity or CO, intensity either. These results suggest that internal forces, like efficiency improvements, changed consumption patterns and transformation of the energy system, have been crucial for relative environmental improvement in Sweden, while foreign trade has played no role. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Kander, Astrid and Lindmark, M}},
  issn         = {{1873-6777}},
  keywords     = {{environmental kuznets curve; carbon dioxide; energy foreign trade}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{13}},
  pages        = {{1590--1599}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Energy Policy}},
  title        = {{Foreign trade and declining pollution in Sweden: a decomposition analysis of long-term structural and technological effects}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2004.12.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.enpol.2004.12.007}},
  volume       = {{34}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}