Carbon flow map
A substance flow analysis of carbon in the Dutch economy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19467360 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Juraj Petrík (0009-0003-4564-8003, Utrecht University), Gert Jan Kramer (0000-0002-8983-4516, Utrecht University, corresponding author), Vivian S C Tunn (0000-0001-8400-0275, Utrecht University), Li Shen (0009-0002-2377-8360, Utrecht University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-20 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Industrial Ecology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1088-1980 • E-ISSN: 1530-9290 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s44498-026-00065-5 |
| OpenAlex | W7154947994 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 36 |
Carbon is a fundamental component of our economy, as well as a key element of greenhouse gas emissions. Tracking carbon flows captures energy, material, and climate impacts, and enables a direct examination of the link between material and energy transitions, indicating progress towards circular carbon and the net-zero target. This study presents a novel method for mapping carbon flows at the macro level using national accounts data, while also enabling granular analysis of carbon flows across different sectors. The analysis examined carbon flows across 11 main product flow categories and 7 subcategories, mapping them by source and destination, and across 12 transformation sectors. Applied to the Netherlands as a case study, the results reveal that the Dutch economy strongly relies on imports and exports of carbon, with net imports accounting for 131 Mt C yr −1 (82% of total carbon supply) and net exports for 89 Mt C yr −1 (83% of total carbon demand) in the year 2020. Furthermore, over 80% of the carbon supply is fossil-based. Therefore, to meet the Dutch government’s 2050 targets of climate neutrality and full circularity, i.e. relying solely on biogenic and other circular carbon sources, significant shifts in carbon supply and demand are urgently needed
Carbon accounting · Carbon cycle · Carbon fibers · Carbon neutrality · Climate change · Greenhouse gas · Input–output model · Low-carbon economy · Material flow analysis · Environmental Impact and Sustainability · Extraction and Separation Processes · Global Energy and Sustainability Research
How Circular is the Global Economy
Developing a material flow monitor for the Netherlands from national statistical data
Measuring Progress towards a Circular Economy
Use of Physical Supply and Use Tables for Calculation of Economy‐Wide Material Flow Indicators
Potentials and limits of mechanical plastic recycling
Economy‐wide material system analysis
Quo vadis MFA? Integrated material flow analysis to support material efficiency
Growth in global materials use, GDP and population during the 20th century
Towards circular plastics within planetary boundaries
From resource extraction to outflows of wastes and emissions
| Highly cited | No |
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