Greenhouse gas emissions and economic structure in Uruguay

Using input-output analysis, we identify the key sectors in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the Uruguayan economy. The responsibilities of each sector in terms of its emissions are decomposed into an own component, generated during the activities of the sector, and an indirect component, generated by the induced activities in other sectors. This has important implications for the design of mitigation polices, as the appropriate policy measures are contingent on the nature of the pollution. Technical improvements and best practices are effective only when applied to directly polluting sectors, while demand policies may be more appropriate for indirectly polluting sectors. In addition, we analyze pollution generated during the production of exports. The results show that demand policies are going to be effective in the Building, the Hotel and restaurants, and the Wholesale and retail trade; and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles sectors. These policies complement GHG emissions' mitigation policies in directly polluting sectors (mainly the Cattle farming and the transport-related sectors). Finally, methane and nitrous oxide emissions are mainly the consequence of production for exports, while carbon dioxide emissions are mainly driven by production for domestic consumption