Research areas

The GEAR group has extensive experience in assessing the economic, social, and environmental impacts of both domestic and international trade in final and intermediate goods through global value chains. The group’s relevance in this field is evidenced by its consistent participation in European, national, and regional research projects on this topic, as well as by its numerous scientific publications in high-impact international journals.

One of the GEAR group's distinctive research lines is the application of input-output methodology for the calculation of environmental footprints. This approach enables the quantification of both direct and indirect impacts resulting from the demand (e.g., consumption) of a country, sector, or household type, allowing for the identification of impacts occurring within the territory or along global value chains. In terms of environmental footprint types, GEAR conducts both scientific research and commissioned studies focused on the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions, material footprints, and water usage.

The GEAR group conducts research on the social impacts of various economic activities through the calculation of employment footprints. This methodology enables the assessment of the employment effects generated by the activity of a country, sector, or specific type of activity, disaggregated by employment categories. For instance, it allows for the estimation of impacts on low-, medium-, and high-skilled employment, as well as on female and male employment. Additionally, the group includes researchers specialized in the calculation of footprints related to occupational accidents and the impacts of migration.

GEAR researchers are regularly commissioned by organizations and companies to calculate their carbon footprints disaggregated by scopes (1, 2, and 3). To this end, the group has developed a hybrid methodology that combines international databases with company- or organization-level data. This methodology complies with ISO standards and the GHG Protocol, and is documented in a handbook published by AENOR, co-authored by GEAR researchers and an external collaborator. As a result of this work, the section has engaged in contracts with companies in the primary sector, and one of its researchers is a member of a spin-off company.

The GEAR research group maintains a strong commitment to knowledge transfer to society. Within this line of work, the group has conducted footprint assessments for productive sectors such as tourism and photovoltaics—most notably, GEAR has been responsible for producing the impact data for the Spanish Photovoltaic Union’s (UNEF) annual report for the past eight years. The group has also analyzed the socioeconomic impacts of specific projects, including the development of photovoltaic parks and the construction of leisure and adventure parks, among others.