Analysis of Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Environmental Impacts in European Countries

Florinda Martins, Carlos Felgueiras, Miroslava Smitkova and Nídia Caetano
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Florinda Martins: REQUIMTE/LAQV/ISEP, School of Engineering, P. Porto 4249-015, Portugal
Carlos Felgueiras: CIETI/ISEP, School of Engineering, P. Porto 4249-015, Portugal
Miroslava Smitkova: Institute of Power and Applied Electrical Engineering, FEI - Slovak University of Technology, Ilkovicova 3, 812 19 Bratislava 1, Slovakia
Nídia Caetano: CIETI/ISEP, School of Engineering, P. Porto 4249-015, Portugal

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: The use of fossil fuels as the main source of energy for most countries has caused several negative environmental impacts, such as global warming and air pollution. Air pollution causes many health problems, causing social and economic negative effects. Worldwide efforts are being made to avoid global warming consequences through the establishment of international agreements that then lead to local policies adapted to the development of each signing nation. In addition, there is a depletion of nonrenewable resources which may be scarce or nonexistent in future generations. The preservation of resources, which is a common goal of the Circular Economy strategy and of sustainable development, is not being accomplished nowadays. In this work, the calculation of indicators and mathematical and statistical analysis were applied to clarify and evidence the trends, provide information for the decision-making process, and increase public awareness. The fact that European countries do not possess abundant reserves of fossil fuels will not change, but the results of this analysis can evolve in the future. In this work, fossil fuel energy consumption, fossil fuel depletion, and their relationship with other variables, such as energy dependence and share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, were analyzed for 29 European countries. Furthermore, it was possible to conclude that many European countries still depend heavily on fossil fuels. Significant differences were not found in what concerns gross inland consumption per capita when the Kruskal–Wallis test was applied. It was possible to estimate that by 2050 (considering Jazz scenario) it will only remain approximately 14% of oil proven reserves, 72% of coal proven reserves and 18% of gas proven reserves. Given the small reserves of European countries on fossil fuels, if they need to use them, they will fast disappear.

Keywords: fossil fuels; low carbon energy systems; sustainable energy; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (88)

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