Exploring Global Embodied Emissions of Digital Technologies Using Input-Output Data

The paper presented in this ZEW Research Seminar leverages input-output analysis using FIGARO data to firstly shed comprehensive light on the embodied climate impact of digital technologies between 2010 and 2021. The authors focus on the sectors “Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products”, “Telecommunications”, and “Computer programming”, “consultancy and information service activities”. Extending the classical Leontief approach by considering digital demand in other industries, they show that the joint climate impact of these industries in 2021 is 2.1 Gt CO2e (4.1 % of global greenhouse gas emissions). Moreover, despite initial efficiency gains, embodied emissions rose again in the second half of the decade, highlighting the need for action to curb future emissions as digital technology adoption continues to grow.