Taioka, Taina i; Ba celos, Tiago Fe ei a; Unga e i, Ca los Rena o; de Mendonça,
Ma co Au élio Al es
Wo king Pape
In e na ional ade and g eenhouse gas emission pa e ns
be ween B azil and he o iginal BRICS coun ies
Tex o pa a Discussão, No. 3124
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Ins i u e o Applied Economic Resea ch (ipea), B asília
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Taioka, Taina i; Ba celos, Tiago Fe ei a; Unga e i, Ca los Rena o; de Mendonça,
Ma co Au élio Al es (2025) : In e na ional ade and g eenhouse gas emission pa e ns be ween
B azil and he o iginal BRICS coun ies, Tex o pa a Discussão, No. 3124, Ins i u o de Pesquisa
Econômica Aplicada (IPEA), B asília,
h ps://doi.o g/10.38116/ d3124-eng
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3124
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION
PATTERNS BETWEEN BRAZIL AND
THE ORIGINAL BRICS COUNTRIES
TAINARI TAIOKATAINARI TAIOKA
TIAGO FERREIRA BARCELOSTIAGO FERREIRA BARCELOS
CARLOS RENATO UNGARETTICARLOS RENATO UNGARETTI
MARCO AURÉLIO ALVES DE MENDONÇAMARCO AURÉLIO ALVES DE MENDONÇA
3124
B asilia, May 2025
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION
PATTERNS BETWEEN BRAZIL AND THE
ORIGINAL BRICS COUNTRIES
TAINARI TAIOKA1
TIAGO FERREIRA BARCELOS2
CARLOS RENATO UNGARETTI3
MARCO AURÉLIO ALVES DE MENDONÇA4
1. Resea che in he Na ional De elopmen Resea ch P og am (PNPD) a he Depa men
o In e na ional S udies o he Ins i u e o Applied Economic Resea ch (Din e/Ipea).
E-mail: [email p o ec ed].b .
2. Assis an p o esso a he Fluminense Fede al Uni e si y (UFF). E-mail: iago.ba -
[email p o ec ed].
3. Resea che in he PNPD a Din e/Ipea. E-mail: ca los.unga [email p o ec ed].b .
4. Resea che in he PNPD a Din e/Ipea. E-mail: [email p o ec ed] .b .
Discussion Pape
A publica ion o dissemina e he indings o esea ch di ec ly o in-
di ec ly conduc ed by he Ins i u e o Applied Economic Resea ch
(Ipea). Due o hei ele ance, hey p o ide in o ma ion o specialis s
and encou age con ibu ions.
© Ins i u e o Applied Economic Resea ch – ipea 2025
In e na ional T ade and G eenhouse Gas Emission Pa e ns
Be ween B azil and he O iginal BRICS Coun ies / Taina i
Taioka, Tiago Fe ei a Ba celos, Ca los Rena o Unga e i,
Ma co Au élio Al es de Mendonça. – Rio de Janei o: Ipea,
May, 2025.
28 p. : il. – (Discussion Pape ; n. 3124).
Inclui e e ências bibliog á icas.
1. Análise Inpu -Ou pu . 2. Emissões de Gases de E ei o
Es u a. 3. BRICS. I. Taioka, Taina i. II. Ba celos, Tiago Fe ei a. III.
Unga e i, Ca los Rena o. IV. Mendonça, Ma co Au élio Al es de.
V. Ins i u o de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada. VI. Tí ulo.
CDD 382.92
Ficha ca alog á ica elabo ada po Elisangela da Sil a Gomes de Macedo CRB-1/1670
How o ci e:
TAIOKA, Taina i e al. In e na ional T ade and G eenhouse Gas
Emission Pa e ns Be ween B azil and he O iginal BRICS Coun-
ies. Rio de Janei o: Ipea, May. 2025. il. (Discussion Pape , n. 3124).
DOI: h ps:// dx.doi.o g/10.38116/ d3124-eng
JEL: C67; Q54; O24; F10.
DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.38116/ d3124-eng
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o he Ins i u e o Applied Economic Resea ch and he Minis y o
Planning and Budge .
Rep oduc ion o his ex and he da a con ained wi hin is allowed
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Fede al Go e nmen o B azil
Minis y o Planning and Budge
O ice Simone Nassa Tebe
A public ounda ion a ilia ed o he Minis y o
Planning and Budge , Ipea p o ides echnical and
ins i u ional suppo o go e nmen ac ions –
enabling he o mula ion o nume ous public
policies and p og ams o B azilian de elopmen –
and makes esea ch and s udies conduc ed by i s
s a a ailable o socie y.
P esiden
LUCIANA MENDES SANTOS SERVO
Di ec o o Ins i u ional De elopmen
FERNANDO GAIGER SILVEIRA
Di ec o o S udies and Policies o he S a e,
Ins i u ions and Democ acy
LUSENI MARIA CORDEIRO DE AQUINO
Di ec o o Mac oeconomic S udies and Policies
CLÁUDIO ROBERTO AMITRANO
Di ec o o Regional, U ban and En i onmen al
S udies and Policies
ARISTIDES MONTEIRO NETO
Di ec o o Sec o al S udies and Policies,
o Inno a ion, Regula ion and In as uc u e
FERNANDA DE NEGRI
Di ec o o Social S udies and Policies (subs i u e)
JOANA SIMÕES DE MELO COSTA
Di ec o o In e na ional S udies
KEITI DA ROCHA GOMES
Chie o S a
ALEXANDRE DOS SANTOS CUNHA
Gene al Coo dina o o P ess and
Social Communica ion
GISELE AMARAL DE SOUZA
Ombudsman: h ps://www.ipea.go .b /Ou ido ia
URL: h ps://www.ipea.go .b
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
SINOPSE
1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................6
2 LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................7
3 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................9
4 DATABASE ..............................................................................12
5 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS ...................................................12
5.1 Desc ip i e analysis o comme cial ela ions
be ween B azil and BRICS in 2022 ........................................... 12
5.2 Resul s ob ained om he es ima ion o he MRIO ma ix .... 15
5.3 Resul s ob ained om he es ima ion o he MRIO ma ix
o he main sec o s ................................................................. 18
6 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................22
REFERENCES .............................................................................24
COMPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................26
APPENDIX A .............................................................................27
ABSTRACT
This pape aims o es ima e he alue added and g eenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
embodied in ade be ween B azil and he o iginal BRICS coun ies – China, India, Rus-
sia, and Sou h A ica – o he yea 2022. Based on da a om Exiobase, he emissions
indica o e eals ha China is he main sou ce o emissions embedded in B azilian
impo s, while Russia eco ds he highes emissions indica o among B azilian expo
des ina ions – showing a g ea e emissions in ensi y ela i e o ade olume. The
esul s show ha China was he p ima y des ina ion o B azilian expo s, abso bing
app oxima ely 23.1 million ons o CO2, and also accoun ed o he la ges sha e o
emissions embedded in B azil’s impo s, wi h a ound 52.8 million o TCO2 – an ou come
aligned wi h he ade olume be ween he wo coun ies. Emissions associa ed wi h
B azilian expo s we e mainly concen a ed in sec o s such as ood p oduc ion and
animal a ming, whe eas impo s we e domina ed by in e media e and capi al goods
wi h high emission in ensi ies.
Keywo ds: inpu -ou pu analysis; g eenhouse gas emissions; BRICS.
DISCUSSION PAPER
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1 INTRODUCTION
Wi h he in ensi ica ion o in e na ional ade and he deepening o p oduc i e special-
iza ion among na ions, p oduc ion and consump ion pa e ns ha e become inc eas-
ingly decen alized, spanning mul iple geog aphic egions. This phenomenon has led o
in eg a ing g eenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in o global alue chains, as aded goods
inhe en ly ca y he emissions associa ed wi h hei p oduc ion p ocesses. Consequen ly,
in e na ional ade acili a es he ne ans e o GHG emissions, edis ibu ing he en i-
onmen al impac s o p oduc i e ac i i ies ac oss coun ies.
Howe e , he ex en o which emissions embedded in ade a ec di e en coun ies is
highly asymme ical. Va ia ions in ade pa e ns, p oduc i e s uc u es, and echnological
de elopmen signi ican ly in luence he magni ude o emissions ans e ed ac oss bo de s
(Ca o e al., 2015; A ionis e al., 2017). S udies by Meng e al. (2018), Wu e al. (2020), and
Liu, Lackne and Fan (2021) highligh he egional dispa i ies in he economic and en i on-
men al consequences o in e na ional ade. Addi ionally, he li e a u e unde sco es he
link be ween pollu ion le els, economic g ow h, and ins i u ional amewo ks, showing ha
lowe -income egions end o become “pollu ion ha ens”, whe e en i onmen ally ha m ul
ac i i ies a e concen a ed (Cole and Ellio , 2003; Duan, Ji and Yu, 2021). On he o he
hand, as Nunes e al. (2023) a gue, in e na ional ade can also c ea e oppo uni ies o
he ex e nal inancing o clima e mi iga ion p ojec s, such as in es men s in enewable
ene gy in de eloping economies.
Agains his backd op, he BRICS economies – B azil, Russia, India, China, and
Sou h A ica – ha e gained inc easing p ominence in global economic dynamics. In
2022, hese coun ies accoun ed o 26% o global g oss domes ic p oduc (GDP)
and 21% o in e na ional ade,
1
consolida ing hei ole as key playe s in he wo ld
economy. Howe e , his economic expansion has been accompanied by ising GHG
emissions, wi h all i e na ions anking among he wo ld’s op 20 emi e s.2 The
accele a ing pace o clima e change demands a coo dina ed esponse aligned wi h
he Pa is Ag eemen and he Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs). Ne e heless,
he unila e al adop ion measu es by de eloped economies, such as he Eu opean
Union’s Ca bon Bo de Adjus men Mechanism (CBAM), pose addi ional challenges
o eme ging economies. By imposing a i s on he ca bon con en o goods expo ed
1. In 2023, nine o he membe s (Saudi A abia, Uni ed A ab Emi a es, Egyp , E hiopia, and I an) joined he
g oup. Wi h he new composi ion in 2024, he GDP eached 37% o global p oduc ion, and in e na ional ade
o aled 26%. In addi ion, in 2025, Indonesia joined he BRICS, and he e a e p ospec s o new pa ne ships.
2. A ailable a : h ps://unc ads a .unc ad.o g/EN/.
DISCUSSION PAPER
DISCUSSION PAPER
7
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o he Eu opean Union, he CBAM3 isks unde mining he g ow h p ospec s o BRICS
coun ies, adding ano he laye o complexi y o hei economic and en i onmen al
s a egies (Tho s ensen, Zuchie i and Mo a, 2023).
In his con ex , he p esen s udy seeks o quan i y he o al GHG emissions embed-
ded be ween B azil’s ade lows and he ou BRICS coun ies. Gi en he bloc’s economic
signi icance and i s membe s’ commi men s o emission educ ion, a de ailed unde -
s anding o hese emissions’ olume and sec o al composi ion is c ucial o in o ming
public policies. This objec i e is pa icula ly ele an in ligh o he ecen expansion
o BRICS, which in 2023 welcomed i e new membe s – Saudi A abia, he Uni ed A ab
Emi a es, Egyp , E hiopia, and I an; in 2025 Indonesia came aboa d – u he s eng h-
ening he g oup and expanding oppo uni ies o coope a ion.
To achie e his, we employ an emissions decomposi ion analysis, mapping GHG
emissions ac oss in e indus y p oduc ion and consump ion linkages wi hin adi ional
in e na ional ade ne wo ks. Following he me hodology p oposed by Chen e al. (2021)
and applied by Ba celos and Cos a (2024), we use da a om an en i onmen ally ex ended
mul i egional inpu -ou pu model, Exiobase (EE MRIO), o es ima e he emissions embed-
ded in ade lows be ween B azil, China, India, Russia, Sou h A ica, and he es o he
wo ld (ROW) o he yea 2022. This app oach enables a de ailed examina ion o emis-
sions ade ela ions by economic sec o , allowing o a mo e p ecise analysis o he o i-
gin and des ina ion o B azil’s emissions o he BRICS. Mo eo e , Exiobase p o ides he
mos up- o-da e da abase (2022) among a ailable inpu -ou pu models, wi h a de ailed
sec o al classi ica ion – co e ing 50 sec o s compa ed o Eo a’s 26 – and a highe le el
o g anula i y. No ably, he six new BRICS membe s we e no included in his analysis, as
hei accession o he bloc occu ed only in 2023.
The s uc u e o his s udy consis s o six sec ions, including his in oduc ion. The
second sec ion p o ides a li e a u e e iew, ollowed by he hi d, which ou lines he me h-
odology. The ou h sec ion desc ibes he da abase used, while he i h p esen s and
discusses he esul s. The las sec ion o e s he concluding ema ks.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Es ima ing emissions h ough a mul i egional inpu -ou pu (MRIO) ma ix o e s a obus
me hodology capable o cap u ing he complex and simul aneous in e ac ions be ween
3. The aim is o p e en ca bon leakage by applying a bo de ax. This is compensa ion o di e ences in
p oduc ion cos s due o he p ice o ca bon. The p oposal is o eplace he cu en sys em o ee Emis-
sions T ading Sys em (ETS) licenses o indus y, incen i izing GHG emissions educ ions in he sec o s
co e ed by he ETS (see Tho s ensen, Zuchie i and Mo a, 2023).
DISCUSSION PAPER
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p oduc i e sec o s and geog aphic egions. This model no only enables he assessmen
o bo h di ec and indi ec emissions lows associa ed wi h in e na ional ade bu also
calcula es in e egional eedback e ec s, o e ing an in eg a ed iew o he dynamics
o p oduc ion, consump ion, and emissions ac oss di e en economies (Mille and
Blai , 2009).
S udies such as hose by Sa o (2014) and Zhang e al. (2017) ha e demons a ed
he e ec i eness o using inpu -ou pu ma ices o es ima e ene gy lows and emissions
embedded in in e na ional ade, add essing key issues such as ca bon leakage. This
concep e e s o he phenomenon whe e s ingen en i onmen al egula ions in one
coun y led o he eloca ion o ca bon-in ensi e p oduc ion o coun ies wi h weake
en i onmen al policies, e ec i ely shi ing, a he han educing, global emissions. These
s udies highligh how he eloca ion o emissions o coun ies wi h less s ingen en i-
onmen al egula ions can unde mine global e o s o mi iga e clima e change.
Su, Ang and Liu (2021) explo e he spa ial agg ega ion issues in MRIO analysis o
egional emissions and in ensi ies by linking egional and global da ase s. The s udy
examines ou spa ial agg ega ion schemes, using an empi ical analysis o 30 Chinese
egions and 43 coun ies o 2007 and 2012 o assess he impac o agg ega ion on
embedded emissions and in ensi ies. Findings e eal ha spa ial agg ega ion a ec s
sec o al ou comes mo e signi ican ly han egional ones, wi h impo an implica ions
o egional emission s udies.
In he B azilian and Chinese con ex , Ba celos and Cos a (2024) applied he MRIO
model o analyze he ela ionship be ween in e na ional ade wi hin global alue chains
(GVCs) and g eenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The esul s indica ed ha , in he case o
China, emissions a e p edominan ly associa ed wi h ene gy gene a ion and ene gy-in-
ensi e indus ies, e lec ing he coun y’s hea y dependence on ossil uels o sus ain
i s indus ial g ow h. In con as , B azilian emissions mainly s em om he se ice
sec o and adi ional indus ies, unde sco ing he need o imp o e ene gy e iciency in
key sec o s o he B azilian economy.
Zhang e al. (2019) analyze ade- ela ed emissions using an MRIO model, ocus-
ing on ansac ions be ween BRICS (o iginal o ma ion) and non-BRICS coun ies. The
s udy examines he low o emissions embedded in ade, wi h pa icula emphasis
on he ene gy sec o . The esul s indica e ha , wi hin he BRICS g oup, he majo i y o
emissions we e embedded in in e media e goods a he han in inal demand. China
eme ged as he dominan playe in e ms o aded emissions, ac ing as a key in e -
media y. Speci ically, China acili a ed he ans e o emissions embedded in Russian
expo s o o he BRICS coun ies while also d i ing a signi ican in low o emissions
om majo economies ou side he bloc.
DISCUSSION PAPER
DISCUSSION PAPER
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unde sco ing a pa e n o specializa ion in low- alue-added goods. In con as , he
impo s uc u e highligh s he coun y’s subs an ial dependence on ex e nal inpu s
o indus ial p oduc ion, wi h capi al and in e media e goods making up a signi ican
po ion o o al impo s. No ably, impo s o aw ma e ials – especially om China – a e
ela i ely small, u he emphasizing B azil’s ole as a key supplie o p ima y p oduc s
while main aining high demand o indus ial and echnological inpu s om ab oad.
5.2 Resul s ob ained om he es ima ion o he MRIO ma ix
Ha ing p esen ed he o e all alues, he ocus now shi s o he emissions embedded in
ade lows, cap u ed by he ( ) ma ix be ween B azil and he BRICS coun ies, consid-
e ing changes in global demand. Simila o he ( ) ma ix, he o al o wa d emissions
dis ibu ion was ob ained by summing he ows, ep esen ing emissions associa ed wi h
B azil’s p oduc i e s uc u e and sold bo h in he domes ic ma ke and h ough expo s
o BRICS coun ies. Con e sely, summing he columns p o ided he o al backwa d emis-
sions dis ibu ion, co esponding o emissions embedded in he consump ion o goods
and se ices, ha is, B azil’s impo s om i s BRICS ading pa ne s.
As illus a ed in igu e 3, he o wa d dis ibu ion o emissions embedded in B azilian
expo s o he BRICS is p edominan ly di ec ed o China, amoun ing o 23.1 billion ons
o CO2 (TCO2), ollowed by Russia wi h 5.7 billion TCO2, India wi h 3.8 billion TCO2, and
Sou h A ica wi h 1.3 billion TCO2. The emaining 81.3 billion TCO2 was alloca ed o ROW.
FIGURE 3
To al B azilian emissions o wa d linkages des ined o BRICS coun ies (2022)
5,7
3,8
23,1
1,3
0
5
10
15
20
25
TCO2 (billion)
Russia India China Sou h A ica
Sou ce: Exiobase. A ailable a : h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
DISCUSSION PAPER
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Rega ding emissions embedded in B azilian p oduc ion, igu e 4 shows ha China
is he mos signi ican sou ce among he BRICS coun ies. In o al, B azil impo ed 52.8
billion TCO2 om China, mo e han wice he amoun i expo ed o he coun y. India
anked as he second-la ges sou ce, wi h app oxima ely 5.5 billion TCO2 impo ed.
Russia and Sou h A ica played a ma ginal ole, con ibu ing 0.7 billion TCO2 and 0.4
billion TCO2, espec i ely.
FIGURE 4
To al B azilian emissions backwa d linkages des ined o BRICS coun ies (2022)
0,7
5,5
52,8
0,4
0
10
20
30
40
50
TCO2 (billion)
Russia India China Sou h A ica
Sou ce: Exiobase. A ailable a : h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
Table 2 p esen s he emissions expo indica o be ween B azil, he BRICS coun-
ies, and ROW. Among all coun ies and he ROW, Russia s ands ou wi h an emissions
indica o o 4.3%, signi ican ly highe han ha o he o he coun ies. India ollows wi h
a posi i e indica o o 1.4%, Sou h A ica wi h 0.6%, and he ROW wi h 0.4%. In con as ,
China displays a nega i e indica o o -6.8%, indica ing ha he emissions embedded
in B azilian expo s o China a e lowe han he a e age emissions in ensi y o B azil’s
o al expo s. In o he wo ds, China’s consump ion o B azilian goods and se ices is
ela i ely less emission-in ensi e compa ed o ha o o he ading pa ne s.
DISCUSSION PAPER
DISCUSSION PAPER
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TABLE 2
Emissions expo indica o be ween B azil, he BRICS coun ies and he ROW (2022)
(In %)
Coun ies Fo wa d linkages To al expo Emissions indica o expo
Russia 4.9 0.6 4.3
India 3.3 1.9 1.4
China 20.0 26.8 -6.8
Sou h A ica 1.1 0.5 0.6
Res o he wo ld 70.6 70.2 0.4
To al 100 100,0 –
Sou ce: Comex S a . A ailable a : h ps://comexs a .mdic.go .b /p /ge al; Exiobase. A ailable a :
h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
Conce ning emissions embedded in impo s, able 3 shows a e e sal o his pa -
e n. While he emissions impo indica o is nega i e o almos all coun ies, China
exhibi s a posi i e alue o 6.4%. This sugges s ha B azil’s consump ion o Chinese
goods is associa ed wi h a highe in ensi y o emissions han he a e age o B azil’s o al
impo s. Once again, Russia is no able, showing a nega i e indica o o -2.6%, and he
ROW eco ds an e en lowe igu e o -3.5%. India and Sou h A ica also ha e nega i e
alues, al hough hese a e modes (-0.2% and -0.1%, espec i ely).
TABLE 3
Emissions impo indica o be ween B azil, he BRICS coun ies and he ROW (2022)
(In %)
Backwa d linkages To al impo Emissions indica o impo
0.4 3.0 -2.6
3.1 3.3 -0.2
29.6 23.2 6.4
0.2 0.3 -0.1
66.8 70.3 -3.5
100 100.0 –
Sou ce: Comex S a . A ailable a : h ps://comexs a .mdic.go .b /p /ge al; Exiobase. A ailable a :
h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
DISCUSSION PAPER
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I is impo an o no e ha , ega ding B azilian expo s, he esul s may be in luenced
by limi a ions in MRIO da abases in ully cap u ing emissions associa ed wi h de o -
es a ion and land-use change. Ne e heless, coun ies ha impo la ge olumes o aw
ma e ials om B azil – such as Russia – s ill exhibi high emissions le els, ein o cing
hei ca bon-in ensi e impo p o iles. In con as , China, despi e being a majo impo e
o aw ma e ials, p esen s a signi ican ly nega i e emissions indica o .
Wi h espec o emissions embedded in B azilian impo s, he esul s e lec
he emission in ensi ies o p oduc ion p ocesses in he expo ing coun ies. B azil
impo s a subs an ial sha e o capi al goods om China, which a e ypically p oduced
in sec o s wi h high ca bon in ensi y – pa icula ly due o he ossil uel-based ene gy
sou ces used in Chinese manu ac u ing. The ele a ed emissions index associa ed
wi h Chinese impo s likely cap u es he ca bon oo p in embedded in hese emis-
sions-in ensi e global alue chains. Con e sely, B azilian impo s om Russia a e
concen a ed in in e media e goods ha may no be as emission-in ensi e. To u -
he elucida e hese ade pa e ns, he ollowing sec ion p o ides a disagg ega ed
analysis o emissions by p oduc ion sec o .
5.3 Resul s ob ained om he es ima ion o he MRIO ma ix o he
main sec o s
Figu e 5 illus a es he sec o al dis ibu ion o o al GHG emissions associa ed wi h
o wa d linkages in 2022. The sec o wi h he la ges sha e o o al emissions was Food
P oduc ion, accoun ing o app oxima ely 30.9% o o al GHG emissions. This was ol-
lowed by he Animal Fa ming sec o wi h 19.2%, while O he Se ices, Was e T ea men ,
and Chemicals con ibu ed 11.4%, 8.9%, and 4.3%, espec i ely. These esul s sugges
ha he main emi ing sec o s – hose ha supply bo h domes ic consump ion and
expo demand – a e p ima ily linked o aw ma e ials and in e media e goods.
No ably, Food p oduc ion and Animal a ming oge he we e esponsible o app ox-
ima ely 50% o o al emissions. As highligh ed in he p e ious sec ion, his inding is
e en mo e signi ican conside ing he limi a ions o MRIO da abases, which do no
accoun o emissions esul ing om de o es a ion and land-use change. This implies
ha ac ual emissions om hese sec o s could be highe han es ima ed.
I is impo an , howe e , o dis inguish be ween emissions gene a ed o domes-
ic consump ion and hose embodied in expo s. When ocusing exclusi ely on emis-
sions alloca ed o o eign ma ke s, he anking o he mos emission-in ensi e sec o s
shi s. This is because he sec o s wi h he highes o e all emissions o en alloca e a
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conside able po ion o hei ou pu o he domes ic ma ke . Fo example, in he case
o Food p oduc ion, app oxima ely 95.3% o i s o al emissions a e linked o domes ic
consump ion, he eby educing i s ela i e con ibu ion o expo - ela ed emissions.
FIGURE 5
To al sha e o B azilian emissions embodied by o wa d linkages by main
sec o s (2022)
(In %)
30,9
19,2
11,4
8,9
4,3
3,9
3,0
2,5
2,2
2,2
Food p oduc ion
Animal a ming
O he se ices
Was e ea men
Chemicals
Vehicles manu ac u ing
Cul i a ion
Pe oleum e ine y
Wa e anspo
Machine y p oduc ion
Sou ce: Exiobase. A ailable a : h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
A mo e de ailed analysis by coun y, as shown in igu e 6, e eals ha emission
expo s o BRICS coun ies we e p edominan ly concen a ed in Vehicle Manu ac u -
ing and Machine y p oduc ion, bo h pa o he capi al goods ca ego y. Al hough his
sec o is less ca bon-in ensi e han chemicals, he p oduc ion o elec ical equipmen
and machine y s ill gene a es signi ican GHG emissions, pa icula ly when he ene gy
ma ix elies on ossil uels (Ca nei o, 2012).
China and India also s and ou in he o he se ices sec o , which encompasses
a wide ange o ac i i ies no di ec ly linked o he p oduc ion o angible goods. This
includes ag icul u e, mining, and o he ex ac i e indus ies, all o which a e associ-
a ed wi h high emission le els. Addi ionally, he chemical sec o – classi ied unde
aw ma e ials – holds subs an ial weigh among he BRICS coun ies. This sec o is
cha ac e ized by ele a ed GHG emissions, bo h om p oduc ion and om he supply o
inpu s o o he indus ies. Consequen ly, o wa d linkages in hese sec o s con ibu e o
a b oad dispe sion o emissions ac oss p oduc ion chains, a ec ing mul iple economic
segmen s dependen on hese inpu s (Ca nei o, 2012).
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Mo eo e , he Cul i a ion sec o plays a signi ican ole, pa icula ly in Russia and
China, as i alls wi hin he aw ma e ials ca ego y – one o he highes -emi ing sec o s
in B azil’s p oduc ion s uc u e. This unde sco es he impo ance o ag icul u e- ela ed
emissions in B azil’s ade wi h i s BRICS pa ne s, ein o cing he coun y’s eliance on
emission-in ensi e p ima y p oduc ion.
FIGURE 6
To al sha e o B azilian issuances inco po a ed by o wa d linkages by main
sec o s and BRICS coun ies (2022)
(In %)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Food p oduc ion
Animal a ming
O he se ices
Was e ea men
Chemicals
Vehicles manu ac u ing
Cul i a ion
Pe oleum e ine y
Wa e anspo
Machine y p oduc ion
Russia India China Sou h A ica
Sou ce: Exiobase. A ailable a : h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
Tu ning now o backwa d linkages, igu e 7 p esen s he sec o al dis ibu ion o o al
emissions o his ca ego y in 2022. When analyzing he emissions embedded in he
B azilian p oduc ion p ocess, he Animal a ming sec o once again s ands ou . Among
he 50 sec o s examined, i accoun ed o 49.2% o o al GHG emissions, ollowed by
was e ea men (10.3%), gas powe plan s (4.6%), and cul i a ion (4.6%).
These indings indica e ha he la ges sha e o impo ed emissions is concen a ed
in p oduc i e sec o s linked o aw ma e ials and capi al goods. This pa e n e lec s
B azil’s s ong dependence on emission-in ensi e inpu s, pa icula ly om sec o s asso-
cia ed wi h ag icul u e, ene gy p oduc ion, and indus ial p ocesses.
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FIGURE 7
To al sha e o B azilian emissions embodied by backwa d linkages by main
sec o s (2022)
(In %)
49,2
10,3
4,6
4,6
3,4
3,1
2,4
2,1
1,9
1,8
Animal a ming
Was e ea men
Gas powe plan s
Cul i a ion
C ude oil ex ac ion
I on and s eel manu ac u ing
Wa e anspo
Pe oleum e ine y
O he se ices
Recycling and e-p ocessing
Sou ce: Exiobase. A ailable a : h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
Figu e 8 highligh s China’s dominan ole in he o al impo s o key sec o s in he B a-
zilian economy. In he C ude oil ex ac ion sec o , China accoun s o 31.37% o embodied
emissions. The coun y also s ands ou in he Cul i a ion sec o , ep esen ing 7.11% o
emissions. Addi ionally, China is a majo expo e o pe oleum de i a i es, chemicals o
e ilize s, plas ics, and cons uc ion ma e ials o B azil, all o which a e highly emissions-in-
ensi e (Losekann and Ta a es, 2021; Oli ei a, Ribei o and Ca alho, 2020). Fu he mo e,
B azil impo s capi al goods such as d illing pla o ms, pipelines, and specialized machin-
e y o oil ex ac ion and anspo a ion. In he cul i a ion sec o , ag icul u al machine y
and e ilize s a e key impo ed goods.
India also plays a ele an ole, pa icula ly in he c ude oil ex ac ion sec o , accoun -
ing o 2.12% o B azil’s o al emissions impo s, ollowed by gas powe plan s (0.81%).
The coun y is home o some o he wo ld’s la ges oil e ine ies and expo s e ined
pe oleum p oduc s, chemicals, and e ilize s o B azil. India also supplies u bines,
gene a o s, and indus ial al es, which a e essen ial o B azil’s gas- i ed powe plan s
(Losekann and Ta a es, 2021; Oli ei a, Ribei o and Ca alho, 2020). Addi ionally, like
China, India’s mining sec o is highly ca bon-in ensi e, elying hea ily on coal o elec-
ici y gene a ion and indus ial p ocesses.
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Russia appea s in backwa d linkages as a ele an sou ce o embodied emissions
in he i on and s eel manu ac u ing (0.14%) and cul i a ion (0.11%) sec o s. As one o
he wo ld’s la ges s eel p oduce s, Russia expo s s eel ba s, shee s, and semi- inished
p oduc s o B azil. In he Cul i a ion sec o , e ilize s play a c ucial ole, as Russia is
B azil’s main supplie . Fe ilize p oduc ion can be GHG-in ensi e, pa icula ly due o
he eliance on na u al gas o he syn hesis o ammonia, a key inpu in ni ogen-based
e ilize s (Losekann and Ta a es, 2021; Oli ei a, Ribei o and Ca alho, 2020). Howe e ,
he alue o emissions ans e ed o B azil in his sec o was insigni ican .
Finally, al hough Sou h A ica’s ade ela ionship wi h B azil plays a mino ole
compa ed o he o he h ee BRICS coun ies, i s expo s o B azil a e concen a ed in he
Chemical sec o . Sou h A ica supplies chemical p oduc s and e ilize s, con ibu ing
o embodied emissions due o i s coal-in ensi e ene gy ma ix (B asil, 2022).
FIGURE 8
To al sha e o B azilian issuances inco po a ed by backwa d linkages by main
sec o s and BRICS coun ies (2022)
(In %)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Animal a ming
Was e ea men
Gas powe plan s
Cul i a ion
C ude oil ex ac ion
I on and s eel manu ac u ing
Wa e anspo
Pe oleum e ine y
O he se ices
Recycling and e-p ocessing
Russia India China Sou h A ica
Sou ce: Exiobase. A ailable a : h ps://zenodo.o g/ eco ds/14614930.
Au ho s’ elabo a ion.
6 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Gi en he high ade olume be ween B azil and China, i is no su p ising ha China
eme ges as bo h he la ges sou ce o GHG emissions embodied in B azilian impo s
and he main des ina ion o emissions embedded in B azilian expo s. In 2022, China
abso bed app oxima ely 23.1 million ons o CO2 om B azilian expo s, ollowed by
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Russia (5.7 million), India (3.8 million), and Sou h A ica (1.3 million ons o CO2). On
he impo side, B azilian pu chases om China embodied 52.8 million ons o CO2 –
mo e han wice he emissions expo ed o ha coun y – ollowed by India (5.5 million),
Russia (0.68 million), and Sou h A ica (0.37 million ons o CO2).
Howe e , when conside ing he emissions indica o – which measu es he ela i e
di e ence be ween ade olume and emissions – China displays a nega i e alue o
B azilian expo s. This sugges s ha , ela i e o ade olume, expo s o China a e less
emission-in ensi e. Con e sely, B azilian impo s om China show a posi i e emissions
index, e lec ing a highe ca bon in ensi y, likely due o B azil’s s ong dependence on
Chinese capi al and in e media e goods wi h ene gy-in ensi e p oduc ion p ocesses.
Russia p esen s he in e se pa e n: a posi i e index o B azilian expo s and a nega i e
one o impo s, indica ing ha B azil expo s mo e emissions o Russia han i impo s.
Al hough less exp essi e in magni ude, he emissions indices o India and Sou h A ica
ollow a simila pa e n o Russia’s. In bo h cases, B azil ends o expo mo e emissions
han i impo s, sugges ing ha he composi ion o B azilian expo s o hese pa ne s
is mo e ca bon-in ensi e han he goods ecei ed in e u n.
Sec o al analysis e eals ha emissions associa ed wi h B azilian expo s a e con-
cen a ed in aw ma e ials sec o s, pa icula ly ood p oduc ion and animal a ming. In
con as , B azilian impo s a e cha ac e ized by emission-in ensi e in e media e and
capi al goods, such as machine y, equipmen , and chemicals. O he ele an sec o s
include c ude oil ex ac ion, ag icul u e, and was e ea men , which also con ibu e
signi ican ly o emissions embedded h oughou global alue chains.
These indings highligh he p essing need o deca boniza ion s a egies ha add ess
bo h expo dynamics and he s uc u al cha ac e is ics o he na ional p oduc ion sys em.
The con inued cen ali y o p ima y sec o s in B azil’s emissions p o ile unde sco es he
impo ance o os e ing sus ainable p oduc ion p ac ices, in es ing in low-ca bon echnol-
ogies, and p omo ing indus ial di e si ica ion. Fu he mo e, enhanced coope a ion wi hin
he BRICS g oup could se e as a s a egic pla o m o de eloping sha ed solu ions, pa -
icula ly in a eas such as ene gy ansi ion and emission educ ion ac oss supply chains.
None heless, some limi a ions should be acknowledged. The MRIO me hodology
does no cap u e emissions om land-use change and de o es a ion, which a e pa -
icula ly ele an in he B azilian con ex and may lead o an unde es ima ion o he
coun y’s en i onmen al oo p in in ade. Mo eo e , he limi ed empo al co e age and
disagg ega ion o in e na ional da abases cons ain he abili y o assess ecen shi s
in global ade. Fu u e esea ch should inco po a e mo e upda ed da a and expand
he analysis o include o he majo ading pa ne s and egions – such as he Uni ed
S a es, he Eu opean Union, Me cosu , and key Asian economies. Addi ionally, u he
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s udies could bene i om applying s uc u al decomposi ion analysis, as sugges ed by
Ba celos and Cos a (2024), o unpack he unde lying d i e s o ade- ela ed emissions.
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