Domestic versus foreign origin of total energy use: An analysis for Brazil

Energy use is the major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of this paper is to examine total domestic and foreign energy use across industries in Brazil over the period 1995–2015. We found that total energy use experienced an annual average growth rate close to 3%. In 2015 only three industries accounted for 37% of total energy use in Brazil: Transport, Food & Beverages, and Electricity, Gas, and Water. In these industries the share of the energy used and produced domestically was higher than the average (85.6%, 84.5% and 94.5% of the total, respectively). In contrast, other industries were increasingly reliant on foreign energy. Thus, the share of domestic use of energy produced abroad was higher than 20% in Textiles and Wearing Apparel, Electrical and Machinery, Transport Equipment and Construction. This fact extends the problem of energy-related emissions mitigation from the national to the global level. [Display omitted] •Total energy use across Brazilian industries are estimated.•The domestic and foreign origin of the energy used is distinguished.•A rising participation of foreign energy use is found.•Strong energy user industries are highly dependent on energy produced domestically.•Some industries increasingly reliant on energy produced abroad are identified.