Coal Consumption Efficiency in the European Union—Trends and Challenges

Aneta Masternak-Janus ()
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Aneta Masternak-Janus: Department of Production Engineering, Kielce University of Technology, Al. Tysiaclecia Panstwa Polskiego 7, 25-314 Kielce, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-19

Abstract: Coal plays a significant role in the economies of many countries and serves as an energy source for numerous societies. However, its combustion causes various environmental problems and contributes to climate change. This article examines the efficiency of coal consumption in 26 European Union countries and its changes from 2014 to 2022. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology was applied to measure the extent of overall technical, pure technical, and scale technical efficiency, based on data concerning three production factors (labour, fixed assets, and energy), with GDP as a desirable output and CO 2 emissions as an undesirable output. The empirical findings revealed that Cyprus, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Poland were efficiency leaders throughout the entire study period. France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands managed energy and non-energy resources efficiently but were found inefficient in terms of operational scale. Countries that do not use their resources at optimal levels in the production of goods and services should provide greater technical and financial support to their production processes and improve the organisation and structure of labour.

Keywords: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA); European Union (EU); coal consumption; efficiency (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: 2025
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