Achieving Emission Reductions without Furthering Social Inequality: Lessons From the 2007 Economic Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2001-2020

Kilian, Lena and Owen, Anne and Newing, Andy and Ivanova, Diana (2023). Achieving Emission Reductions without Furthering Social Inequality: Lessons From the 2007 Economic Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2001-2020. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-856713

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Data description (abstract)

These data show consumption-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of UK households from 2001-2020. As demographic variables, income decile and age group are attached. Emissions are shown in two different ways. First, emissions are shown for each year individually. Second, emissions are shown as a 2007 equivalent. These second data show the emissions that consumption from the different years would have caused assuming the economic structure and emission coefficients from 2007. Data are reported as a carbon equivalent, meaning that all GHGs are converted into their carbon equivalent. The GHGs included are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.

Data creators:

Creator Name	Affiliation	ORCID (as URL)
Kilian Lena	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0885-1198
Owen Anne	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3872-9900
Newing Andy	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3222-6640
Ivanova Diana	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3890-481X

Sponsors:

ESRC, EPSRC, Marie-Curie International Fellowship

Grant reference:

ES/S50161X/1

Topic classification:

Economics
Social stratification and groupings

Keywords:

CLIMATE CHANGE, CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS, HOUSEHOLDS, GREENHOUSE GASES, POLLUTION

Project title:

Data Analytics and Society CDT Industrial Strategy 2018

Alternative title:

Research Data: Achieving Emission Reductions without Furthering Social Inequality

Grant holders:

Lena Kilian, Diana Ivanova, Diana Ivanova

Project dates:

From	To
30 September 2018	31 December 2022

Date published:

05 Oct 2023 12:32

Last modified:

05 Oct 2023 12:33

Coverage and Methodology

Access and Administration

Data sourcing, processing and preparation:

Estimating Consumption-based Emissions Emissions are estimated using household expenditure data and product-based multipliers (in tCO2e/£). To calculate the multipliers, we first need to estimate the total indirect consumption-based emissions from UK households using environmentally-extended multi-regional input-output (EEMRIO) analysis. For this we use the UK’s multi-regional input-output model (UKMRIO). After indirect emissions are estimated, we add direct household emissions to the products associated with fuel burning. Once total household emissions are calculated at a product-level, we can divide these emissions by the total spend of UK households for each product, to generate conversion factors in tCO2e/£. We multiply the conversion factors by household spends from different households. This data comes from the Living Costs and Food Survey (LCFS). At the time of writing the detailed, household-level LCFS is not yet published. However, versions of the LCFS expenditures and incomes are available via the Office for National Statistics. To estimate 2020 emissions, we therefore use such aggregated LCFS data. To compare emissions across household types, we weigh the number of people in a household by their household composition. We calculate emissions per single adult person household (SPH) by using the OECD-modified scale, which accounts for the non-proportional relationship between additional household members and income or expenditure. This assigns a weighting of 1 for the first adult, 0.5 for every other adult, and 0.3 for every child. Longitudinal comparisons For the longitudinal comparisons we calculate two sets of emission estimates. First, we calculate emissions using the UKMRIO and LCFS from the same year to estimate emissions for each year. Second, we calculate emission estimates using the 2007 multipliers. Using multipliers from the same year allows for a more direct comparison of consumption behaviours and the emissions these would have caused in 2007. To ensure that inflation and price changes over time do not impact our results, we adjust income and expenditure to 2007 values. We do this at a product level using the Consumer Price Inflation tables from the Office for National Statistics.

Rights owners:

Name	Affiliation	ORCID (as URL)
Kilian Lena	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0885-1198
Owen Anne	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3872-9900
Newing Andy	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3222-6640
Ivanova Diana	University of Leeds	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3890-481X