The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in Europe
The limited use of non-renewable energy sources facilitates a reduction in the negative environmental impact of electricity production. The policies of European countries aim to change the structure of electricity sources, focusing particularly on non-renewable sources. The aim of this study was to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/501 |
| _version_ | 1797625799591854080 |
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| author | Marcin Bukowski Janusz Majewski Agnieszka Sobolewska |
| author_facet | Marcin Bukowski Janusz Majewski Agnieszka Sobolewska |
| author_sort | Marcin Bukowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The limited use of non-renewable energy sources facilitates a reduction in the negative environmental impact of electricity production. The policies of European countries aim to change the structure of electricity sources, focusing particularly on non-renewable sources. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the structure of electricity generation depending on the energy sources used in 34 European countries in the years 1990–2020 in terms of their environmental impact. This study was conducted using cluster analysis: a method applied in multivariate comparative analyses. Such an approach provided a new, broader outlook on changes in the structure of electric energy production in Europe. A total of nine homogeneous groups of countries were distinguished in terms of energy transformation. The ecological scarcity method 2013 was applied to assess the environmental impact of electricity production in the analyzed countries. In the investigated period, the negative environmental impact of electricity production in European countries decreased. The median of the volume of this impact, determined based on the structure of production in 1990, for the analyzed countries was 464 UBP/1 kWh. In the following years, the value of the median dropped to 413 UBP/1 kWh (2000), 322 UBP/1 kWh (2010), and 204 UBP/1 kWh (2020), respectively. The diversification of the countries in this respect also decreased, which resulted in a reduction in the number of clusters from eight in 1990 to two in 2020. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:01:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07e10fddb9a74df9847adef9c0285170 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:01:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-07e10fddb9a74df9847adef9c02851702023-11-16T15:20:00ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-01-0116150110.3390/en16010501The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in EuropeMarcin Bukowski0Janusz Majewski1Agnieszka Sobolewska2Institute of Economics, University of Applied Sciences in Elbląg, Wojska Polskiego 1, 82-300 Elbląg, PolandInstitute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, PolandInstitute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, PolandThe limited use of non-renewable energy sources facilitates a reduction in the negative environmental impact of electricity production. The policies of European countries aim to change the structure of electricity sources, focusing particularly on non-renewable sources. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the structure of electricity generation depending on the energy sources used in 34 European countries in the years 1990–2020 in terms of their environmental impact. This study was conducted using cluster analysis: a method applied in multivariate comparative analyses. Such an approach provided a new, broader outlook on changes in the structure of electric energy production in Europe. A total of nine homogeneous groups of countries were distinguished in terms of energy transformation. The ecological scarcity method 2013 was applied to assess the environmental impact of electricity production in the analyzed countries. In the investigated period, the negative environmental impact of electricity production in European countries decreased. The median of the volume of this impact, determined based on the structure of production in 1990, for the analyzed countries was 464 UBP/1 kWh. In the following years, the value of the median dropped to 413 UBP/1 kWh (2000), 322 UBP/1 kWh (2010), and 204 UBP/1 kWh (2020), respectively. The diversification of the countries in this respect also decreased, which resulted in a reduction in the number of clusters from eight in 1990 to two in 2020.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/501sources of energymix of energystructure of electricity sourcesrenewable energyecological scarcity methodward cluster analysis |
| spellingShingle | Marcin Bukowski Janusz Majewski Agnieszka Sobolewska The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in Europe Energies sources of energy mix of energy structure of electricity sources renewable energy ecological scarcity method ward cluster analysis |
| title | The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in Europe |
| title_full | The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in Europe |
| title_fullStr | The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in Europe |
| title_short | The Environmental Impact of Changes in the Structure of Electricity Sources in Europe |
| title_sort | environmental impact of changes in the structure of electricity sources in europe |
| topic | sources of energy mix of energy structure of electricity sources renewable energy ecological scarcity method ward cluster analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/501 |
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