The researchers examined how Switzerland's carbon footprint is influenced by its connections with other regions, especially in Western Europe, by looking at three different measures: production within Switzerland, consumption in Switzerland, and production for final use. They found that when counting all the emissions linked to what Switzerland makes and consumes, the carbon impact is much bigger than just what is produced locally. While emissions from local Swiss production have gone down from 1997 to 2011, those linked to what Switzerland consumes or what it finally produces have not changed much. This shows that emissions from trade play a big role in Switzerland's overall impact. The study suggests that countries like Switzerland need to consider not only their local production but also their consumption habits to accurately track and reduce their carbon footprint.