Wealth and pollution inequalities of global trade: A network and input-output approach

• We distinguish between pollution produced within a country and pollution triggered along global supply chains by a country's consumption.
• We explain pollution and wealth distributions via network characteristics.
• Our findings show a positive, (log-) linear relationship between a country's network position and both ways of accounting for pollution.
• Countries with higher numbers and volume of export ties increase their shares of global wealth faster than shares of pollution.

We examine distributions of pollution and wealth among countries over a 20 year period. We distinguish between pollution produced within a country and pollution triggered along global supply chains by a country's consumption. We explain pollution and wealth distributions via network characteristics. Our findings show a positive, (log-) linear relationship between a country's network position and both ways of accounting for pollution. In addition, core countries and/or ones with higher numbers and volume of export ties increase their shares of global wealth faster than shares of pollution.