Energy and Trade


This part of the site will provides data on the energy embodied in traded goods over time and will provide data and visualizations of the energy and land inputs into goods as they moved around the world, focusing on the period c.1850-1935. Energy embodied in goods is that energy required for their production, which when linked to trade data, allows the calculation of the energy used up by the consumption habits of nations by summing energy consumed within a nation’s borders, but removing that energy that went into producing exports, whilst adding that energy employed in imports. This guides an understanding of the relationship between trade patterns and national energy usage, and permits the calculation of the ‘energy’ and ‘land’ footprint of consumption habits.

Equally, this work provides data on the energy inputs into many sectors of the economy, and how the efficiency of production changed over time.

Currently, we have listed a draft working paper on “Energy embodied in traded goods for the United Kingdom, 1870-1935: Discussion of Methods and Sources”. Click on ‘Working papers’  in the menu to download.

This section of the site is under construction. Watch out for more data soon!