Extracció de recursos, comerç i gestió de residusuna aproximació regional al metabolisme socioeconòmic espanyol

Resumen

The thesis addresses the socioeconomic metabolism of the whole of the Spanish Autonomous Communities (AC) between 1996 and 2010, adapting the harmonized methodologies at the national level for their subnational application. Since the background of these calculations is scarce, a series of methodological and conceptual challenges are addressed to carry out material flow accounting at subnational scales. First, the elaboration of a database and the calculation of the main indicators of extraction, interregional and international trade, consumption and productivity in biophysical terms is addressed in the period studied. During this period, the housing bubble and the subsequent crisis caused very marked patterns of increased extraction of natural resources and international imports. In addition, the volume of biophysical trade between AC is quantified, revealing the relevance of trade of construction products during years of economic growth and a great disparity in the values of the main indicators across AC. Next, a more detailed study of trade patterns by types of material and analysing the international and interregional and international markets separately is developed. An absolute dependence on foreign metals and fossil fuels is identified and the main commercial roles of the AC in the international and interregional market for biomass and non-metallic minerals are modelled. Despite some methodological limitations, the commercial profile of the AC is calculated and their environmental burden shifting through trade including construction minerals is quantified. Madrid stands out as a highly dependent region for all materials and therefore responsible for a strong environmental burden shifting towards other AC and other countries. Finally, an analysis of the municipal waste management of the AC regarding the fulfilment of the European Union’s recycling targets is carried out. It is found that, as in the case of extraction, consumption and trade, very different management profiles exist, which leads to differing results in terms of municipal waste management. The distance to the target of the AC is identified and the minimum policies required for accomplishing the target are identified. In any case, all AC were far from complying with the European recycling targets. Some measures required to close this gap are a more efficient policy for the separate collection of bio-waste; a coordination of fiscal tools, particularly landfill taxes; and the standardization and the dissemination of the best available technologies. Overall, it is concluded that the socioeconomic metabolism of the AC, both regarding the input side and waste management, presents disparities that points to a polarisation of the environmental burdens derived from the economic process. In addition, it is concluded that the lack of data on basic variables of economic and environmental relevance jeopardises research aimed at informing public policies.