Managers of companies usually understand this principle: When I can measure it, I can manage it. This rule also applies to the field of environmental protection. If we can more accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions, we can better control the global climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. At present, there are two commonly used measurement methods: one is a production-based measurement method (a greenhouse gas produced by one country); the other is a consumption-based measurement method (in the production and transportation of a country Greenhouse gases produced when products and services are consumed). Most international protocols are based on the first measurement method, but actually the second measurement method is more efficient.
The Kyoto Protocol and the current GHG emissions trading plans in use in Europe, Japan, and Australia are based on the first mentioned above, that is, production-based measurement methods. They are aimed at the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by a country, ignoring the country’s imports of carbon dioxide through products and packaging.
Incorrect measurement methods often lead to wrong management. For example, at the 2005 G8 Summit (G8 summit), the United Kingdom concluded with a production-based greenhouse gas measurement method that their emissions reduction process has reached the targets set in the Kyoto Protocol. Thus, the United Kingdom was established as a model of energy-saving emission reduction. However, most of these reductions have come from the industrialization of domestic companies in the United Kingdom, the closure of coal companies, and the shift of heavily polluting companies overseas. In fact, the lifestyle and greenhouse gas emissions of the British citizens did not change much. It was only because the United Kingdom shifted its own carbon dioxide emissions to other less-developed countries for emissions. Therefore, with the shift of manufacturing companies overseas, Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions have not been reduced but have instead increased.
It can thus be seen that adopting a production-based measurement method in an internationalized world with an increasing consumption rate does increase the risk of GHG emissions. When we talk about changes in the global season, don't ignore the greenhouse gases that are being transferred from one country to another.
The reason why we say that the measurement method based on consumption is more scientific is because it can better distinguish the main body of responsibility, that is, the original demand side of the product or service. In this model, where products are ultimately consumed, they need to bear the primary responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For example, if the product is used in the United Kingdom, then all emissions responsibilities should belong to the United Kingdom. This eliminates the hidden dangers of evading responsibility in certain countries.
What does this mean for the United States? Outsourcing activities in the US packaging industry are very common. If consumption-based greenhouse gas measurements are used, companies and countries that invest in cleaner production will outperform other countries. For the United States, this means the normal operation of the domestic economy and the improvement of the global environment.