A study by WWF, in which countries were grouped according to World Bank income thresholds, shows that high-income countries have, on average, an ecological footprint more than 6 times larger than that of low-income countries.

The total value of goods imported to Sweden in 2008 was just over SEK 1,000 billion, an increase of 6 per cent on the previous year.

To estimate the global emissions of greenhouse gases associated with Swedish consumption, emissions arising from imports to Sweden have to be added to those occurring inside the country, and emissions attributable to exports have to be subtracted. This is known as applying a consumption perspective to emissions. This diagram shows that, in such a perspective, consumption in Sweden gives rise to emissions of 95 million tonnes of CO2e.

Blues indicate countries whose imports generate higher emissions of carbon dioxide than the production of the goods they export, while reds and yellows identify countries whose exports give rise to higher emissions than their imports. The arrows show the largest trade flows between countries and regions in terms of carbon dioxide. Most industrialised countries have higher emission figures from a consumption perspective than from a production perspective.

Emissions of greenhouse gases from private consumption can be divided between food, housing, travel and other activities. The latter include, above all, purchases of clothes and shoes.

Emissions of sulphur dioxide were below the interim target of 50,000 tonnes, set under the environmental quality objective Natural Acidification Only, several years before the target year 2010.

This diagram shows emissions in other countries linked to Swedish consumption and emissions in Sweden associated with domestic consumption and exports. The lower bar also includes emissions from international shipping, which greatly increases the emissions figures.

The interim target of 148,000 tonnes, set under the environmental quality objectives Natural Acidification Only and Zero Eutrophication, is expected to be met during the target year 2010.

This diagram shows emissions in other countries linked to Swedish consumption and emissions in Sweden associated with domestic consumption and exports. The lower bar also includes emissions from international shipping, which greatly increases the emissions figures.

The country with the largest per capita water footprint is the United States, while India has the largest water footprint in absolute terms. The figures are averages for 1997–2001.

This diagram shows the direct land areas required for food produced in, imported to, exported from and consumed in Sweden. It covers the most important categories of food, including processed products such as pasta and bread. The figures for processed products are estimates, which means that the total areas may be somewhat over- or underestimated. The bar for food consumed in Sweden shows the direct land area used for both imported and Swedish-produced food, minus the area for exports. The bar for exports includes both areas in Sweden used to produce goods for export and areas in other countries used to produce products which Sweden imports and then re-exports in some form. Green coffee beans, for example, are imported, roasted in Sweden and then exported. Some of the areas shown in the exports bar are therefore included in the bar for food produced in Sweden, and some in the bar for imported food.

Diffuse releases of hazardous substances can occur throughout a product’s life cycle.

Imports of the six product groups shown have almost doubled in thirteen years. As a result, the impacts abroad of Swedish consumption have presumably also increased.

Of the 35 kg of textiles per person which Sweden imported in 2008, around 3 kg/person consisted of each of the three groups (1) T-shirts, jerseys etc., (2) jackets, trousers etc., and (3) bed linen, tablecloths, towels etc.

The biggest source of direct imports of textiles to Sweden in 2008 was China. The statistics give no indication, though, whether imports from other countries also had China as their country of origin.

In just thirteen years, imports of electronic and electrical products have doubled.

Environmental accounts describe the environmental pressures arising from a country’s economic activities, through production and consumption. Producers use energy, materials, labour and capital to produce goods and services. Production processes and consumption also generate waste and emissions to air and water. Environmental accounts set out to quantify these flows and the relationships between them.

The water footprint of a country consists of an internal, i. e The water footprint of a country consists of an internal, i.e. domestic, and an external component.

Biocapacity – a measure of biological productivity – is the capacity of ecosystems to produce biological materials useful to people and to absorb man-made emissions of carbon dioxide. The biocapacity of an area indicates its average biological productivity during the year to which the statistics relate. It depends not only on natural factors, but also on methods of land use, such as agriculture and forestry.

To provide a simple comparison, emissions are shown only in relation to electricity produced. The ratio of electricity to heat generation is roughly the same in Sweden and in Germany.

Sweden’s internal and external water footprints are roughly equal in size, making up 49 and 51 per cent, respectively, of the total water footprint.

As this table clearly shows, we consume more water than we can actually see that we are using. It takes 140 litres of water, for example, to provide us with one cup of coffee.

The quantities of chemicals used over the life cycle of different garments were found to vary between around 1.5 kg and 6.9 kg per kilogram of clothing.

The stage in the manufacture of a T-shirt requiring most chemicals is dyeing.

This diagram is based on Table 4 in the report.

This diagram is based on part of Table 2 in the report.