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Indicator Assessment
Total growth
In 2013, the energy consumption by transport in the EEA-33 was 25 % higher than in 1990 (Figure 2). In the EU-13 Member States, most of this growth occurred in road and maritime transport. In the EU-15 Member States the growth occurred mainly in air transport, while the largest absolute increase in energy consumption was from road transport.
Split of energy consumption between old and new EU Member States
In 2013, the EEA-33 countries consumed approximately 17 356 petajoules (PJ, 1015 joules) of energy on transport. At 82 %, the original EU-15 Member States consumed the vast majority, with 11% used by the newer EU-13 Member States. The final 6 % was used in the remaining EEA member countries.
Overall trends in transport energy consumption
Energy consumption by transport has increased by 65 % in the 13 new EU Member States since 1990 (see Figure 2). In 2013, only Latvia and Lithuania consumed less energy on transport compared to 1990. Five Member States more than doubled their energy consumption over the same period: the Czech Republic, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Turkey. Malta reported a five-fold increase in the energy consumption of its transport, almost exclusively due to a forty-fold increase in shipping activity (bunker fuels).
Between 1990 and 2007, energy consumption by transport in the EU-15 Member States had shown steady growth. In 2013, all of the EU-15 Member States experienced a continued reduction in energy consumption by transport, compared to the 2007. However, total energy consumption in the EU-15 was still 18 % higher in 2013 than in 1990.
In the EU-15, energy consumption in all transport modes decreased between 2012 and 2013. Maritime and inland water transport decreased the most, by approximately 7 % each, rail transport decreased by 5 %, and road and air transport decreased by less than 1 % each. In the EU-13, energy consumption decreased in road, rail and air transport (by less than 5% each) between 2012 and 2013, and increased in inland water transport and maritime transport (by less than 5 % each).
Sectoral trends
In the EEA-33, aviation shows the greatest growth in energy consumption of all transport modes, increasing by 68 % between 1990 and 2013 (Figure 3). In 2013 it was the mode with the second largest energy consumption, after road transport. This growth has mostly come from the EU-15, where fuel consumption by air transport increased by 69 %. In the EEA-33, the period of strongest growth for aviation was between 1990 and 2007, when it grew by 84 %. Between 2007 and 2013, energy consumption in the EEA-33 aviation fell by 9 %. In the future, air transport is predicted to be the mode with the highest growth rates, becoming the second most important passenger mode after road transport by 2050, due to an increasing number of international trips. Nonetheless, energy consumption is predicted to grow less than activity as more energy efficient aircraft are introduced and the fleet is renewed.
In the EU-13, energy consumption by road transport grew by 80 % between 1990 and 2013. In the EU-15 it grew by 13 % over the same period. This is matched with a steady increase in passenger car demand over the last two decades of approximately 20 % (see TERM012), and an increase of over 70 % in land freight transport in the EU-13 over the last decade (see TERM013).
Energy consumption by maritime transport increased by 53 % across the EEA-33 between 1990 and 2007, before decreasing by 20 % between 2007 and 2013. This resulted in energy consumption being 23 % higher in 2013 than in 1990. The countries with the highest energy use by maritime transport are, by order of magnitude, the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium.
The low share of energy consumption by rail is partly due to a relatively small modal share, but also because in most situations rail transport is less energy-intensive than other modes. In 2013, 53 % of the rail network in the EEA-33 was electrified (see TERM018). Rail and inland waterways were the only modes that recorded an absolute decrease in energy consumption between 1990 and 2013 in the EEA-33.
Energy consumption by inland water transport for the EEA-33 has remained fairly constant during the 1990s and early 2000s. The sector experienced an increase in activity between 2002 and 2006, most notably in the EU-15, with energy consumption in 2006 up 19 % on 1990 levels in the EEA-33. It has since declined, and by 2013, energy consumption in the EU-15 was 23 % lower than in 1990, and 18% lower across the EEA-33.
Policy
Policies that reduce the demand for transport, encourage a shift towards more environmentally-friendly modes, improve transport management and enhance vehicle energy efficiency are required in order to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the Kyoto protocol and the EU 2030 climate and energy package. They are also required in order to meet the 70% reduction in oil consumption between 2008 and 2050, which is included in the Transport White Paper. The EU 2030 policy framework for climate and energy agreed in 2014 (EC, 2014b) includes:
Policies that only focus on the incremental efficiency of vehicles will not be sufficient to deliver a long-term low carbon transport sector. Further development must also optimise the performance of multi-modal logistic chains, and use transport and infrastructure more efficiently through improved traffic management and information systems, advanced logistic and market measures such as the completion of an integrated European railway market, and the removal of barriers to short sea shipping, etc (EC, 2011a).
In May 2014, the EEA countries adopted the Athens Declaration, which emphasised the role of short sea shipping as in an attempt to to shift long-distance transport away from roads and address capacity, energy and climate challenges (GR, 2014). This builds on the Transport White Paper (EC, 2011b) goal which aims to shift 30 % of road freight travelling over 300 km to other modes such as rail or waterborne transport by 2030, and more than 50 % by 2050. This will be done by facilitating efficient and ‘green’ freight corridors.
This indicator considers total energy consumption in transport in PJ from 1990 onwards. The transport modes included are bunkers (sea transport), air transport (domestic and international), inland navigation, rail transport and road transport.
In this indicator, transport energy consumption is measured in terajoules (1 TJ = 1012 joules).
Reductions in fuel consumption in the transport sector, and/or reductions of related impacts, may be achieved via three primary means:
Although climate policy and the Kyoto Protocol are important drivers of reducing fossil fuel consumption (and air quality policy to a lesser extent), this indicator is primarily concerned with energy policy. Other related issues are addressed in TERM002 (Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in Europe), TERM003 (Emissions of air pollutants from transport) and TERM031 (Use of renewable fuels in transport in Europe).
The EU has set itself the following targets:
If the 2030 policy framework, proposed in January 2014, is accepted, these targets will be built upon. Additional targets — which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 % by 2030 and increase the proportion of energy that is renewable by at least 27 %, also by 2030 — will be set. Improvements in energy efficiency are still encouraged (as part of the '20-20-20' target to increase energy efficiency by 20 % by 2020), but no new target has been proposed (EC, 2014).
Two key documents published by the European Commission in 2011 outline possible strategies for the transport sector, which are compatible with the 2050 target. These are the Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050 (EC, 2011) and the third decennial Transport White Paper, Roadmap to a single European transport area — Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system (EC, 2011).
The impact assessment that accompanied the 2011 Transport White Paper (EC, 2011) suggests that a 70 % reduction in oil consumption in transport from 2008 levels should be achieved by 2050.
Energy statistics for transport are collected from Member States and collated by Eurostat. To assess whether total energy consumption in transport is growing, time series data for energy consumed were obtained from Eurostat. Data for various fuels were downloaded for bunker (sea), air (domestic and international), inland navigation, road and rail transport. Data for bunkers cover the quantities of fuel delivered to sea-going vessels of all countries. Data for inland and coastal waters are not included in bunker (sea) data. Data for air transport cover quantities of fuel consumed in national and international air traffic. Data on the energy consumed by electric and diesel trains are included within rail data.
Since Eurostat data are used to process statistics, the Eurostat methodology should be referred to for data collection and specification (see Eurostat, ITF and UNECE, 2009).
No methodology for gap filling is applied for this indicator.
No methodology references available.
Data trends within individual countries are difficult to ascertain, as energy consumption data often show unexpected variability from year to year. Energy consumption is calculated based on fuel sales and a common questionnaire is used to report it.
National data vary significantly from country to country and depending on the fuel type and production/consumption sector. The most reliable data come from the EU-15 countries. However, oil pipeline data are lacking for the majority of countries, making them less reliable. Occasionally, data used in older time series may change because of revisions in the methodology used. Such changes have resulted in small alterations, of a few per cent.
For the EU-13, data are generally much less reliable. Gaps are frequent, as are conspicuous jumps in consumption (e.g. doubling or more).
No uncertainty has been specified.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/transport-final-energy-consumption-by-mode/assessment-5 or scan the QR code.
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