Final energy consumption intensity

Assessment versions

Published (reviewed and quality assured)

• No published assessments

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

Scientific references

• No rationale references available

Indicator definition

Units

Policy context and targets

Context description

Environmental context

In Europe there are two prevailing objectives: to continue generating economic growth (the Lisbon Agenda) while, at the same time protecting the environment and ensuing security of energy supply. Achieving these goals simultaneously requires decoupling the economic growth from energy-consumption. This indicator shows the extent to which this is happening (or not) for the four main sectors (for definitions for each sector please see the “Methodology” section): households, services and agriculture, industry and transport. Relative decoupling occurs when energy consumption grows, but more slowly than the underlying driver. Absolute decoupling occurs when energy consumption is stable or falls while the driver grows.

A shift towards absolute decoupling would indicate that pressures on the environment from energy production and consumption are decreasing (because of avoided energy supply) but the magnitude of the impact depends both on the total amount of avoided energy consumption as well as the implications for the energy mix (in other words which fuels have been used less because of the reduction in final energy consumption).

Policy context

• Directive2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and 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.
  Establishes a common framework of measures for the promotion of energy efficiency within the Union in order to ensure the achievement of the Union’s 2020 20% headline target on energy efficiency and to pave the way for further energy efficiency improvements beyond that date.

• Commission Implementing Decision of 22 May 2013 (notified under document C(2013) 2882; 2013/242/EU)

Establishing a template for National Energy Efficiency Action Plans under Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council

• A Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 (COM(2011) 112 final)

Presents a roadmap for action in line with a 80-95% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2050.

• Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 (COM(2011) 109 final)

Proposes additional measures to achieve the 20% primary energy saving target by 2020.

• 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

• Energy Services Directive; Directive 2006/32/EC

Sets out clear mandatory targets for annual energy intensity improvements at Member States’ level and for the share of energy efficient public procurement for the period 2006-2012. For the same period, strong incentives were given by the Directive for Member States to ensure that suppliers of energy offer a certain level of energy services.

• Second Strategic Energy Review; COM(2008) 781 final

Strategic review on short, medium and long term targets on EU energy security.

• Eco-Design Directive; COM(2008) 778 final/2

Directive on intensification of existing regulation on energy-efficiency of products.

• Energy Performance Buildings Directive; Directive 2002/91/EC

The Member States must apply minimum requirements as regards the energy performance of new and existing buildings, ensure the certification of their energy performance and require the regular inspection of boilers and air conditioning systems in buildings.

• Energy Performance Buildings Directive (recast); Directive 2010/31/EU

Strengthens the energy performance requirements of the 2002 Directive.

References

EEA (2013) - A closer look at urban transport – TERM 2013: transport indicators tracking progress towards environmental targets in Europe

EEA (2014) - Monitoring CO₂ emissions from passenger cars and vans in 2013 Technical report No 19/2014.

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 20% reduction in gross inland energy consumption. Member States are requested to set indicative targets. It is up to the Member states whether they base their targets on gross inland consumption, final energy consumption, primary or final energy savings or energy intensity.

Related policy documents

• 2002/91/EC
  Energy Performance Buildings Directive
• 2006/32/EC
  Energy Services Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services and repealing Council Directive 93/76/EEC
• 2009/125/EC - Ecodesign Directive
  The Ecodesign Directive is a framework Directive: it does not set binding requirements on products by itself, but through  implementing measures  adopted on a case by case basis for each product group. All guiding principles for developing implementing measures are set in the  framework Directive 2009/125/EC . The list of product groups to be addressed through implementing measures is established in the periodic  Working Plan .  Standardisation  supports the implementation of the Ecodesign Directive (notably through harmonised standards giving presumption of conformity with all or some Ecodesign legal requirements).
• A closer look at urban transport – TERM 2013: transport indicators tracking progress towards environmental targets in Europe
  This TERM 2013 report includes an assessment of progress towards the transport-related environmental targets set out in the 2011 White Paper and other transport and environment regulations. It also includes a focus on the environmental impacts of urban transport.
• COM(2011) 109 final: Energy Efficiency Plan 2011
  Energy Efficiency Plan 2011
• 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.
• Council Directive 92/42/EEC of 21 May 1992 on efficiency requirements for new hot-water boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fuels
  Official Journal L 167 , 22/06/1992 P. 0017 - 0028 Finnish special edition: Chapter 13 Volume 23 P. 0055 Swedish special edition: Chapter 13 Volume 23 P. 0055
• DIRECTIVE 2005/32/EC
  The Directive establises a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-using products and amends Council Directive 92/42/EEC and Directives 96/57/EC and 2000/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Directive 2010/30/EU Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products
  Energy labeling directive
• DIRECTIVE 2010/31/EU - Energy performance of buildings directive
  DIRECTIVE 2010/31/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings(recast)
• 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
• EEA greenhouse gas - data viewer
  The EEA GHG viewer provides easy access and analysis of the data contained in the Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory and inventory report. The EEA GHG data viewer can show emission trends for the main sectors and allows for comparisons of emissions between different countries and activities.
• Monitoring CO2 emissions from passenger cars and vans in 2013
  he EEA has collected EU Member States' data on passenger car registrations, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 443/2009. All Member States reported information on Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the mass of cars, together with other vehicle characteristics. This data was used to evaluate the performance in 2013 of the new vehicle fleet, and its progress toward meeting the CO2 emissions target of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre (gCO2/km) by 2015. The current dataset is provisional, and will now be sent for verification to all car manufacturers responsible for cars registered in the EU in 2013.

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Meta data

Methodology for gap filling

No methodology for gap filling has been specified. Probably this info has been added together with indicator calculation.

Methodology references

No methodology references available.

Data specifications

EEA data references

• No datasets have been specified here.

External data references

• Annual national accounts
• Simplified energy balances - annual data (nrg_100a)
• World development indicators
• Energy statistics - supply, transformation and consumption

Data sources in latest figures

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

The sectoral breakdown of final energy consumption includes industry, transport, households, services, agriculture, fisheries and other sectors. To be consistent with projection data, the indicator aggregates agriculture, fisheries and other sectors together with the services sector. The inclusion of agriculture and fisheries together with the services sector is however questionable given their divergent trends.

Because the main focus of the indicator is on trends, energy intensity is presented as an index. It should be noted that the final energy intensities between sectors, and also the total final energy intensity, are not directly comparable, because as described above, the definitions of energy intensity within each sector not identical. The indicator serves to highlight the evolution in energy intensity within each sector.

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. 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

Rationale uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified