Final energy consumption by sector (CSI 027/ENER 016) - Assessment published Apr 2008

Indicator definition

Final energy consumption covers energy supplied to the final consumer for all energy uses. It is calculated as the sum of final energy consumption of all sectors. These are disaggregated to cover industry, transport, households, services and agriculture.
The indicator can be presented in relative or absolute terms. The relative contribution of a specific sector is measured by the ratio between the final energy consumption of that sector and total final energy consumption calculated for a calendar year. It is a useful indicator which highlights a country's sectoral needs in terms of final energy demand.

Units

Final energy consumption is measured in thousand tonnes of oil equivalent (ktoe).

Policy context and targets

Context description

• Council adopted on 6 April 2009 the climate-energy legislative package containing measures to fight climate change and promote renewable energy. This package is designed to achieve the EU's overall environmental target of a 20 % reduction in greenhouse gases and a 20 % share of renewable energy in the EU's total energy consumption by 2020.The climate action and renewable energy (CARE) package includes the following main policy documents
  

Directive 2009/29/ec of the European parliament and of the Council amending directive 2003/87/ec so as to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme of the community

Directive 2009/31/ec of the European parliament and of the Council on the geological storage of carbon dioxide

Directive 2009/28/ec of the European parliament and of the Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources

Community guidelines on state aid for environmental protection (2008/c 82/01)

Directive 2008/101/ec of the European parliament and of the Council amending directive 2003/87/ec so as to include aviation activities in the scheme for greenhouse gas Emission allowance trading within the community

Regulation (ec) no 443/2009 of the European parliament and of the Council setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the community's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles

• Second Strategic Energy Review; COM(2008) 781 final
  Strategic review on short, medium and long term targets on EU energy security.
• Sustainable production and consumption action plan COM(2008) 397 final
  The strategy is meant to further sustainable consumption and production and promote its sustainable industrial policy.
• Action Plan for Energy Efficiency: Realising the Potential COM(2006)545 final
  This Action Plan outlines a framework of policies and measures with a view to intensify the process of realising the 20% estimated savings potential in EU annual primary energy consumption by 2020.
  

Targets

Related policy documents

• 443/2009
  Regulation (ec) no 443/2009 of the European parliament and of the Council setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the community's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.
• 2008/101/EC
  Directive 2008/101/ec of the European parliament and of the Council amending directive 2003/87/ec so as to include aviation activities in the scheme for greenhouse gas Emission allowance trading within the community
• 2008/c 82/01
  Community guidelines on state aid for environmental protection (2008/c 82/01)
• 2009/28/EC
  Directive 2009/28/ec of the European parliament and of the Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
• 2009/29/ec
  Directive 2009/29/ec of the European parliament and of the Council amending directive 2003/87/ec so as to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme of the community.
• 2009/31/EC
  Directive 2009/31/ec of the European parliament and of the Council on the geological storage of carbon dioxide.
• COM(2006) 545
  Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
• COM(2008) 397
  Sustainable production and consumption action plan
• COM(2008) 781
  COM(2008) 781 final - Second Strategic Energy Review

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Average annual rate of growth calculated using: [(last year/base year) ^ (1/number of years) -1]*100

The coding (used in the Eurostat database) and specific components of the indicator are:

• Numerator: final energy consumption industry 101800 + final energy consumption transport 101900 + final energy consumption households 102010 + final energy consumption services 102035 + agriculture ao calculated as (final energy consumption agriculture 102030 + final energy consumption fisheries 102020 + final energy consumption other sectors 102040).
• Only if needed for shares; Denominator: (total) final energy consumption 101700

The coding (used in the IEA database) and specific components of the indicator are:

• Report: Energy Balances of Non-OECD countries and Energy Balances of OECD countries; Name: Energy Balances; Product: Total; Flow; Final Consumption - Flow; Memo: Feedstock use in petrochemical industry.

Methodology for gap filling

No gap filling necessary

Methodology references

No methodology references available.

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

Any cross-country comparison of the distribution of final energy consumption between sectors will have to be accompanied by a relevant measure of the importance of the sector in the economy, as the sectoral shares also depends on the country's economic circumstances. Because the focus is on the reduction of final energy consumption and not on the sectoral redistribution of such consumption, the trends in the absolute values (in thousand tonnes of oil equivalent) should be preferred as a more meaningful indicator of progress. However, even if the same sectors in two countries are equally important to the economy, the gross (primary) consumption of energy needed before it reaches the final user might draw from energy sources that pollute the environment in different ways. Thus, from an environmental point of view, the final energy consumption of a sector should be analysed in that broader context.
The sectoral breakdown of final energy consumption includes industry, transport, households, services, agriculture, fisheries and other sectors. The projection data aggregates agriculture, fisheries and other sectors together with the services sector, and projections are based on such aggregation. To be consistent with these projections, the core set indicator uses the same aggregation. The inclusion of agriculture and fisheries together with the services sector is however questionable given their divergent trends. Separate assessments are therefore made where appropriate. It is worth noting that according to Eurostat final energy consumption in agriculture is not very reliable and it mainly means consumption from engines used for agricultural transportation. From next year a new definition will be used in the energy questionnaires to be more in line with the IPCC guidelines. 

Data sets uncertainty

Data have been traditionally compiled by Eurostat through the annual Joint Questionnaires (shared by Eurostat and the International Energy Agency) following a well established and harmonised methodology. Data are transmitted to Eurostat electronically by using a common set of tables. Data is then treated to find inconsistencies and input in the database. Estimations are not normally necessary since annual data are complete.

Rationale uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified