Gini and Entropy-Based Spread Indexes for Primary Energy Consumption Efficiency and CO 2 Emission

Hellinton H. Takada, Celma O. Ribeiro, Oswaldo L. V. Costa and Julio M. Stern
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Hellinton H. Takada: Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Celma O. Ribeiro: Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Oswaldo L. V. Costa: Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Julio M. Stern: Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: Primary energy consumption is one of the key drivers of global CO 2 emissions that, in turn, heavily depends on the efficiency of involved technologies. Either improvement in technology efficiency or the expansion of non-fossil fuel consumption requires large investments. The planning and financing of such investments by global policy makers or global energy firms require, in turn, reliable measures of associated global spread and their evolution in time, at least from the point of view of the principles for responsible investment (PRI). In this paper, our main contribution is the introduction of index measures for accessing global spread (that is, measures of inequality or inhomogeneity in the statistical distribution of a related quantity of interest) of technology efficiency and CO 2 emission in primary energy consumption. These indexes are based on the Gini index, as used in economical sciences, and generalized entropy measures. Regarding primary energy sources, we consider petroleum, coal, natural gas, and non-fossil fuels. Between our findings, we attest some stable relations in the evolution of global spreads of technology efficiency and CO 2 emission and a positive relation between changes in global spread of technology efficiency and use of non-fossil fuel.

Keywords: carbon emissions; energy consumption; technology efficiency; Gini index; generalized entropy index; fossil fuels; non-fossil fuels; petroleum; coal; natural gas (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: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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