The Carbon Footprint of Trade

This project investigates the environmental impact of international trade in OECD countries. Utilizing data from the OECD, we analyzed carbon emissions embodied in both import and export activities. The findings revealed stark differences between OECD and non-OECD countries, with critical implications for future trade policies.

Project Goals

• Measure and analyze the carbon footprint of trade activities between OECD and non-OECD countries.
• Compare emissions from both imports and exports across different countries.
• Provide insights for shaping future environmental and trade policies.

Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Harmonizing data and comparing emission statistics across countries with different policies.

Solution:

• Used data normalization techniques to handle varying emission standards.
• Adopted a unified analytical framework for all datasets.

Technologies and Tools Used

Technologies: Data Visualization, Environmental Analysis, International Trade Data

Tools: Python, Pandas, Matplotlib, Tableau

Data Description

Dataset: OECD and Non-OECD Emission Data (2008-2018).

Sources:

• OECD Greenhouse Gas Emissions Database
• Global Carbon Project Data

Data included territorial CO2 emissions per capita, gross emissions from imports and exports, and overall emissions for each country in the dataset.

Methodology

Data Preprocessing: Emissions were broken down by imports and exports, and normalized to compare countries.

Models Compared: Data visualizations and statistical methods were used to compare emissions across countries.

Key Results

• OECD countries, despite higher emissions per capita, contributed less to overall CO2 emissions from exports than non-OECD countries.
• Non-OECD countries had double the volume of emissions from exports.
• Major OECD contributors include Korea, the United States, and Japan.

Data Visualization

Conclusion

The project highlights the stark differences in carbon emissions between OECD and non-OECD countries, with non-OECD countries contributing more to export-related emissions. These findings emphasize the need for stricter international trade regulations to limit environmental impact, while accounting for regional disparities in economic and industrial activities.