Construction of an environmental input-output table for hong kong and application of input-output hybrid life cycle assessement for construction industry

Abstract

Input-output table (IOT) has long been used by researchers to analyse resources consumption associated with economic activities. In Hong Kong, however, an official IOT is yet to be available. In this study, an updated IOT of Hong Kong was built. In addition, a time series of multi-regional input-output (MRIO) table between Hong Kong and its key trading countries was developed. This MRIO database is the first annual time series model to provide updated information from 2000 to 2012, which significantly fill the missing data gap of IOT of Hong Kong. This MRIO was constructed using an Automated Integrated System for Harmonized Accounts (AISHA), which distinguishes more than 30 sectors of Hong Kong combining with detailed sectors of other key trading countries. As a case study, the latest Hong Kong’s IOT and the MRIO are used to analyse the resources consumption and carbon emissions of construction industry (including domestic sector, non-domestic sector, civil and infrastructure sector, and maintenance and refurbishment sector) by using an input-output hybrid life cycle approach. This hybrid approach complements traditional process LCA by taking the whole economy into account, thus improves the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the results. Resources embedded in trading between Hong Kong and its key trading partners due to local construction works can also be analysed. through this approach.