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The globalization of the world economy has increased resource flows around the planet, raising pressures on the environment. Historically, northern industrialized economies have been responsible for the majority of resource consumption, while developing countries have suffered the associated social and environmental impacts. This article analyzes the extra-territorial responsibility of the Basque economy (Europe), to illustrate the responsibility of northern open economies towards the global environment. To do this, we: (i) analyze the material and energy flows of the Basque economy, their source and impacts on other regions of the world, (ii) study the impact of the economic and investment activities of Basque companies abroad, and (iii) examine, together with other paradigmatic examples, three case studies from Latin-America, East Africa and Southeast Asia that represent the liabilities of northern economies …