Abstract: In order to dynamically investigate the historical evolution of CO₂ emissions induced by consumption and fixed capital investment, this paper defines the concepts of consumption-based CO₂ emissions (CPE) and construction-based CO₂ emissions (CTE), and proposes the ratio of consumption-based CO₂ emissions to construction-based CO₂ emissions (RCC) as a partial indicator of the CO₂ emissions structure which synchronously considers the consumption-based CO₂ emissions and construction-based CO₂ emissions. The study employs an environmentally extended input-output analysis model (EE-IOA) to estimate the carbon emissions of consumption-based CO₂ and construction-based CO₂. By analyzing data totaling 86 samples from 32 countries, the study evaluates the evolution of RCC during the process of industrialization (including post-industrialization period). The empirical results indicate that RCC increases with the advance of industrialization; we should set the carbon emission reduction goals that considering the reduction potentials of consumption-based CO₂ emissions and construction-based CO₂ emissions, and enhance the enterprise carbon emission reduction activity by the market power through transforming consumer’s consumption habit into low-carbon. The significant outcome of this paper is the development of a method for correctly evaluating the emissions levels of countries at different stages of development, in order to establish reasonable emissions reduction targets.

Key words: dioxide carbon emissions, industrialization level, stage of economic development, input-output technique, ratio of consumption-based CO₂ emissions to construction-based CO₂ emissions