Abstract
The global warming is attracting growing concerns of mankind. Here, central attention tends to be given to the CO2 emission caused by fossil fuel consumption in respective countries. Each country consumes energy and emits CO2 for the production of goods and services. In addition, however, we must not neglect the indirect use of energy which is put into for the production of goods and services imported from other countries. This consideration is particularly important in today's globalized world economy in which all nations are closely tied together through trade. In this study, a calculation is made to estimate the energy and CO2 embodied in the traded goods and services by using international trade statistics and national energy consumption data. Then, the export and import balance of environmental loads pertinent to the traded goods and services is discussed based on the concept of embodied energy and CO2. It is demonstrated that Japan and the West Europe have been net importers of embodied energy and CO2 ever since 1975, while the Developing and Central Planning Asias have expanded their export surplus of environmental loads in the course of their rapid economic growth.