Energy intensity in the EU-28
- Between 1990 and 2005, a relative decoupling occurred in the EU28. Since the 2005-2006 peak in EU28 gross inland energy consumption, there has been an absolute decoupling between economic growth and gross inland energy consumption. In 2013, gross inland energy consumption in the EU28 was 8.7% lower than in 2005, while the economy grew by 5.7% during this period.
- In 2013, gross inland energy consumption in the EU28 was at almost the same level as in 1990 (see ENER 026), while Gross Domestic Product (GDP), measured in 2005 constant prices, grew by 1.7% per year. As a consequence, energy intensity in the EU28 fell by 1.7% per year during this period (see Figure 1).
- Between 2005 and 2013, gross inland energy consumption in EU28 decreased by 1.1% per year, while GDP increased by 0.7% per year. As a consequence, energy intensity in the EU28 decreased by 1.8% per year (on average) during this period.
- In 2013, energy intensity in the EU28 was 32% below the 1990 level. About one third of this reduction was observed between 1996 and 2000, a period dominated by economic growth and a more modest energy consumption. Average per capita gross inland energy consumption in the EU28 was 3.3 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) in 2013 (see Figure 2 (Table: Total energy intensity, relative energy intensity (as PPS) and per capita consumption).
- In the EU28, the observed reduction of energy intensity was influenced by improvements in energy efficiency - both for final users and for power generation - as well as by the increase of renewable energy in the power mix and by structural changes within the economy. The latter included an increase in the contribution of services to GDP and a shift within the industrial sectors from energy intensive industries towards less energy intensive industries that have a higher value added.
Energy intensity in EEA member countries
- Except for Norway (+1.6%), Estonia (+0.3%) and Turkey (+0.3%), all EEA member countries show a decrease of energy intensity between 2005 and 2013. The largest decreases were observed in central European countries (e.g. Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia) because of the changes in their economic structure resulting from the closure of energy inefficient industries in the early 1990s, followed by economic growth in relatively energy extensive sectors during the 2000s.
- In 2013, significant differences in energy intensity[1] were observed between the EU28 Member States. The highest energy intensity was observed in Estonia, Finland, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. The lowest energy intensity was observed in Ireland, Malta, Denmark and Italy (see Figure 2 (Table: Total energy intensity, relative energy intensity (as PPS) and per capita consumption) and also ENER 016).
- In 2013, the lowest values for gross inland energy consumption per capita were observed in Turkey, Romania and Croatia (less than 2 TOE per capita in 2013), while the highest values were observed in Luxembourg (8.1 TOE per capita), Norway (6.7 TOE per capita) and Finland (6.3 TOE per capita).
[1] To enable the comparison, energy intensity was measured, in this case, in purchasing power standards relative to the EU28 average.
Supporting information
Indicator definition
Energy intensity is the ratio between the gross inland consumption of energy and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculated for a calendar year. The Gross Inland Energy Consumption (GIEC) is calculated as the sum of the gross inland consumption of the five sources of energy: solid fuels, oil, gas, nuclear and renewable sources. To monitor trends, GDP is in constant prices to avoid the impact of inflation, base year 2005.
Units
Gross inland energy consumption is measured in 1000 tonnes of oil equivalent (ktoe), while GDP is expressed in million Euros at 2005 market prices. To make comparisons of trends across countries more meaningful, the indicator is presented as an index. For country comparisons, two additional columns are included in the table in Figure 2 to show the current energy intensity in GDP in purchasing power standards for the latest available year, and also the energy intensity in terms of consumption per capita.
Policy context and targets
Context description
- The Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU, and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC puts forward an EU-wide 20% energy savings target for 2020, measured against primary energy consumption (i.e. gross inland energy consumption minus non-energy uses). The Directive also transforms certain aspects of the Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 into binding measures, with the objective being to make a significant contribution to meeting the EU’s 2020 energy efficiency target.
- The Energy Roadmap 2050 for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 (COM(2011) 112 final) presents a roadmap for action in line with an 80-95% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2050.
- A resource-efficient Europe – Flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy (COM(2011) 21) presents a strategic framework that should deliver a more sustainable use of natural resources and the shift towards resource-efficient, low-carbon growth in Europe.
- The Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 (COM(2011) 109 final) proposes additional measures to achieve the 20% primary energy saving target by 2020.
- The Energy 2020 strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy (COM(2010) 639 final) identifies energy efficiency as a key priority.
- 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 emissions allowance trading scheme of community Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the geological storage of carbon dioxide.
- 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 emissions allowance trading within the community.
- Regulation (EC) no 443/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting emissions performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the community’s integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.
- The Second Strategic Energy Review (COM(2008) 781 final) reviews short, medium and long term targets on EU energy security.
- The EU Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (COM (2006)545 final) aims to boost the cost-effective and efficient use of energy in the EU. One of the priority areas is making power generation and distribution more efficient.
Targets
The Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency establishes a common framework of measures for the promotion of energy efficiency within the European Union in order to achieve the headline target of a 20% reduction in primary energy consumption[1] by 2020. Member States are requested to set indicative targets. It is up to the Member States whether they base their targets on primary energy consumption, final energy consumption, primary or final energy savings or energy intensity.
[1] Under Directive 2012/27/EU primary energy consumption is defined as gross inland energy consumption minus non-energy uses.
Related policy documents
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2008/c 82/01
Community guidelines on state aid for environmental protection (2008/c 82/01)
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2009/31/EC
Directive 2009/31/ec of the European parliament and of the Council on the geological storage of carbon dioxide.
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Climate action and renewable energy package (CARE Package)
Combating climate change is a top priority for the EU. Europe is working hard to cut its greenhouse gas emissions substantially while encouraging other nations and regions to do likewise.
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COM(2006) 545
Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
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COM(2008) 781
COM(2008) 781 final - Second Strategic Energy Review
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COM(2010) 639 final: Energy 2020 – A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy
A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy
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COM(2011) 21
A resource-efficient Europe – Flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 Strategy
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COM(2011) 109 final: Energy Efficiency Plan 2011
Energy Efficiency Plan 2011
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COM(2011) 112 - A Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050
With its "Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050" the European Commission is looking beyond these 2020 objectives and setting out a plan to meet the long-term target of reducing domestic emissions by 80 to 95% by mid-century as agreed by European Heads of State and governments. It shows how the sectors responsible for Europe's emissions - power generation, industry, transport, buildings and construction, as well as agriculture - can make the transition to a low-carbon economy over the coming decades.
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COM(2011) 370 final Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy efficiency and repealing Directives
DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on energy efficiency and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC {SEC(2011) 779 final} {SEC(2011) 780 final}
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DIRECTIVE 2008/101/EC
DIRECTIVE 2008/101/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 19 November 2008 amending Directive 2003/87/EC so as to include aviation activities in the scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community
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DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC
DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC
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Directive 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.
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Directive 2012/27/eu
DIRECTIVE 2012/27/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC
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EC, Energy efficiency measures
Reducing energy consumption and eliminating energy wastage are among the main goals of the European Union (EU). EU support for improving energy efficiency will prove decisive for competitiveness, security of supply and for meeting the commitments on climate change made under the Kyoto Protocol.
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REGULATION (EC) No 443/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 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.
Methodology
Methodology for indicator calculation
Technical information
- Geographical coverage:
The EEA member countries. These are the 28 European Union Member States plus Turkey, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway. Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are not covered or only partly covered in this factsheet due to lack of data for recent years.
- Methodology and frequency of data collection:
Data collected annually.
Eurostat definitions and concepts for energy statistics http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_SDDS/en/nrg_quant_esms.htm.
- Methodology of data manipulation:
Energy intensity is defined as gross inland energy consumption (GIEC) divided by GDP at constant 2005 prices (i.e. to illustrate trends in economic energy intensity) and it measures how much energy is required to generate one unit of GDP. Its variation over time reflects the influence of various factors, which include energy efficiency improvements but also changes in the nature of the economic activity (the “economic structure”) or in the structure of the energy mix, changes in lifestyle (more appliances, higher indoor temperature in dwellings, more cars), climatic factors such as colder winters, etc. The coding (used in the Eurostat database) and specific components of the indicator are:Numerator: 100900 Gross inland consumption (of energy).Denominator: B1GM GDP in millions of Euro, chain-linked volumes, reference year 2005 (GDP in PPS is used for cross-country comparisons of energy intensity in a particular year).Average annual rate of growth calculated using: [(last year/base year) ^ (1/number of years) –1]*100GDP for the EU28 is not available in Eurostat before 1995 due to a lack of data for some countries. The GDP growth rate published by the World Bank (reference World Development Indicators 2012) was used as an additional data source for gap filling before 1995. GDP for EU28 as a whole and EEA countries has been calculated as a sum.To compare the situation among countries and make a more realistic comparison, the energy intensity needs to be corrected to take into account differences in the general price levels. For that purpose, the GDP should be expressed in purchasing power parities. This is particularly true for new eastern Member Countries where the average price level is lower than in the EU15 countries: after adjustment, the energy intensities of these countries is almost twice as low, on average, than the values measured with exchange rates, and are more in line with other EU countries.Qualitative information
Overall scoring – historical data (1 = no major problems, 3 = major reservations):
- Relevance: 1
- Accuracy: 1
- Comparability over time: 1
- Comparability over space: 1
Methodology for gap filling
No gap filling is necessary.
Methodology references
No methodology references available.
Uncertainties
Methodology uncertainty
There is no GDP available from Eurostat for the EU28 before 1995. Moreover, data was not available for a particular year for certain EU28 Member States. The intensity of energy consumption is relative to changes in real GDP. Cross-country comparisons of energy intensity based on real GDP are relevant for trends but not for comparing energy intensity levels in specific years and specific countries. This is why the indicator is expressed as an index. In order to compare the energy intensity between countries for a specific year, two additional columns are included showing energy intensity in purchasing power standards (PPS) and energy intensity per capita. PPS are currency conversion rates that convert to a common currency and equalise the purchasing power of different currencies. They are an optimal unit for benchmarking country performance in a particular year. Energy intensity should therefore always be put in the broader context of the actual fuel mix used to generate the energy.
Data sets uncertainty
Strengths and weaknesses (at data level)
Data has 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. Methodological information on the annual Joint Questionnaires and data compilation can be found in Eurostat's web page for metadata on energy statistics. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_SDDS/en/nrg_quant_esms.htm
Gross domestic product (GDP) is the central aggregate of National Accounts. Some estimates have been necessary using the procedure described in point 3 of Technical information presented above. Methodological information related to GDP can be found on Eurostat’s website.
Rationale uncertainty
Data sources
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