Biogenic Carbon Storage in Global Technosphere for 2011

This dataset quantifies annual biogenic carbon flows into durable goods and landfills for the global economy in 2011, estimating 0.96 ± 0.15 gigatons of carbon stored. It applies a material flow analysis framework and lifetime-based discharge modeling to track carbon fate until 2100. The data was created by Kaan Hidiroglu using Multi-Regional Supply-Use Tables and detailed extension accounts.

Use Cases

• Model the discharge of stored bio-C over time using lifetime-based discharge modeling to project landfill, recycling, and emission pathways until 2100.
• Analyze the sensitivity of long-term carbon storage to product lifetime assumptions and lifetime distribution functions.
• Assess the potential impact of improved landfill management on methane-related global warming impacts using the methane generation factor variable.
• Compare gross additions to stock (GAS) across different feedstock uses within the material flow analysis framework.

Strengths

• Provides a quantified estimate of global biogenic carbon storage for a specific year: 0.96 ± 0.15 GtC/year in 2011.
• Applies a detailed modeling framework projecting carbon fate across multiple pathways (recycling, landfill, emission) until 2100.
• Includes sensitivity analyses on key parameters like product lifetime assumptions and the methane generation factor.

Limitations

• The dataset is very small in file size (52.7 KB), indicating limited raw data or a highly aggregated summary.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a single base year (2011), with projections requiring model assumptions.
• The underlying structure (e.g., row/column count, specific variables) is not detailed in the provided input.

Provenance

Source

Kaan Hidiroglu via figshare.

Collection Method

Derived from Multi-Regional Supply-Use Tables and detailed extension accounts, using a novel material flow analysis framework.

Time Range

Primary data for 2011, with model projections extending to 2100.

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026, but the core data is for the year 2011.

Geography

Global economy.