The development of Material Footprint (MF)

The Material Footprint (MF) is the attribution of global material extraction to domestic final demand of a country. The total material footprint is the sum of the material footprint for biomass, fossil fuels, metal ores and non-metal ores, of which its report should take the Domestic Material Consumption (DMC) and Material Footprint (MF) into account.

The DMC and MF are the indicators that cover the economic, production, and consumption aspects. The domestic material consumption is the reported actual material quantity in the economy, while the material footprint reflects the virtual material quantity required throughout the supply chain to meet the final demand. For example, one country may have a very high DMC because it has a very large basic manufacturing sector for the exportation, whereas another country may have a very low DMC because its manufacturing process uses the raw materials which are mostly imported from other countries. The material footprint reveals the material flow throughout the supply chain and transborder circulation, thus explaining the causes of both DMC events.

The Technology and Informatics Institute for Sustainability (TIIS) plays a major role in the development of Material Footprint indicator in Thailand by applying the techniques of an Input-Output analysis (IOA), which is an internationally recognized method based on the economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) and the documentation of the EU RME model by EUROSTAT.

For more information please contact:

Seksan  Papong
Research Specialist
02 564 6500 ext. 4771
seksanp@mtec.or.th