Disparities and flows analysis of global leisure carbon footprints

Leisure is an important component of human life. Since human activities significantly contribute to global carbon emissions through final consumption, understanding CO₂ emissions embodied in leisure consumption is crucial for effective environmental management. Using a labor-closed environmentally extended input-output model, we assess the global leisure carbon footprint (LCF) for 2019, considering three leisure definitions. Results show that even under the narrow leisure definition, global LCF reaches 8 Gt, accounting for 18 % of global CO₂ emissions. Marked disparities in leisure consumption and LCF exist across countries. Based on countries’ per capita LCF, the top 10 % of the population contribute 30-40 % of total LCF, whereas the bottom half accounts for only 15-25 %. Furthermore, 32 %, 26 %, and 20 % of LCF under narrow, middle, and broad definitions are imported, with about two-thirds supporting leisure consumption in high-income countries. These findings offer a new perspective on carbon emission responsibility allocation across nations.