Ecological Footprint Calculation as a Land Demand: Based on the Dynamic Leontief Model

Abstract

In recent years, researchers have sought to specify precisely what is meant by the ecological footprint, and there are some methods for calculating it. This paper features a new calculation method for determining the ecological footprint (EFP). The basis of our model is the dynamic Leontief model. If our method is applied, one can determine that a dynamic ecological footprint is a sequence of footprints for periods. We also calculate the ecological footprint for both closed and open economies. Our model contains elements taken from the Leontief model: capital accumulation, and integration of exports and imports into the model through input-output panels. All periods are treated as interdependent, rather than as a series of stand-alone data. Most notably, the model separates capital accumulation from the final use of capital, i.e., investment and final consumption. We illustrate the results with numerical examples.