Abstract
With economic globalization, countries are strengthening interdependence of environmental loads through trade of goods and services. While some countries are transferring economic activities with higher environmental loads to foreign countries, other countries are enjoying economic growth by specializing in the production of export goods that embody larger environmental loads. Analysis of this international interdependence is useful for better understading of the common but differentiated responsibilities of countries to protect the environment. This paper quantifies the transaction of energy, CO2 and land embodied in goods and services traded in the Asia-Pacific region for the years of 1985, 1990 and 1995. The result demonstrates the largest flow of environmental loads is formed centering the United States and China. China, in particular, is achieving economic growth by taking over the responsibilities for CO2 emissions.
