Energy use in world economy from household-consumption-based perspective

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 127; pp. 287 - 298
• Main Authors: Wu, X.D., Guo, J.L., Ji, Xi, Chen, G.Q.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Consumer goods; Consumer products; Consumption; Economic structure; Economics; Energy; Energy consumption; Energy policy; Energy use; Exports; Global economy; Household-consumption-based; Imbalance; Input output analysis; Multi-regional input-output; Overview; Regional analysis; Renewable energy; Sustainability; Sustainable use; Trade; Trade imbalance; China; Household-consumption-based; Multi-regional input-output; Overview; Trade imbalance; Energy use
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.12.005

An overview for energy use within the world economy as reflected by the Eora database for 2012 is conducted by means of household-consumption-based multi-regional input-output analysis that is parallel to existing energy accounting frameworks. From a household-consumption-based perspective, the energy use for Mainland China economy is only around half of that for the United States. The world's trade volume of energy use associated with consumer products is quantified, which is over one-fifth of the global total energy consumption. Mainland China is revealed to be with the largest trade deficit of energy use, in magnitude up to the summation of the trade imbalance of all other major economies. Heavy industry products shipped to Europe & Eurasia, Asia Pacific and North America account for nearly 80% of Mainland China's exports of energy use. To safeguard sustainable energy use, the developed economies are suggested to further strengthen their comparative advantages in those high value-added goods or services while developing economies such as Mainland China are supposed to alter the trade patterns by a transition of economic structure.
•A world view of global energy use is offered from a household-based perspective.•Energy use for Mainland China economy is only half of that for the United States.•Global trade volume of virtual energy is over one-fifth of the total energy use.•Energy trade imbalance for China is the sum of that for other major economies.•Mainland China shall alter its trade pattern by a transition of economic structure.