Trevor Sargent
Question:74 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the way in which Ireland compares in terms of energy efficiency with other OECD countries. [10818/02]
Written Answers. - Energy Efficiency.
In March 1999, London Economics published Irish Energy Efficiency Policy for the period 2000 to 2005, a report to the Energy Advisory Board. Included in this report was an econometric analysis of comparative energy efficiency among OECD countries, allowing for factors such as differing income levels and energy prices in each country. Based on the results of this analysis, the report authors "find no evidence that taken as a whole any sector of the Irish economy is inefficient in its use of energy by international standards".
During the past decade Ireland has made considerable progress in reducing its primary energy intensity, which provides an indication of the energy productivity of the whole economy. This is due largely to structural changes in the economy and energy efficiency measures. Primary energy intensity is defined for a given year as the ratio between total energy consumption and economic output – GDP.
The figures in the following table are quoted in TOE – tonnes of oil equivalent – per 000 95US$. The GDP data have been scaled up or down to the price levels of 1995 and then converted to US$ using average yearly 1995 rates.
Primary Energy Intensity (TPES-GDP toe per 1000 95US$)
|
1990 |
1995 |
1999 |
||
|
1 |
Switzerland |
0.0812 |
0.0822 |
0.0819 |
|
2 |
Japan |
0.0918 |
0.0969 |
0.0962 |
|
3 |
Denmark |
0.1092 |
0.1126 |
0.1005 |
|
4 |
Austria |
0.1187 |
0.1121 |
0.1102 |
|
5 |
Germany |
0.1566 |
0.1383 |
0.1295 |
|
6 |
Italy |
0.1472 |
0.1457 |
0.1444 |
|
7 |
Ireland |
0.1979 |
0.1710 |
0.1481 |
|
8 |
France |
0.1535 |
0.1544 |
0.1502 |
|
9 |
Luxembourg |
0.2549 |
0.1849 |
0.1534 |
|
10 |
Netherlands |
0.1778 |
0.1764 |
0.1555 |
|
11 |
Norway |
0.1756 |
0.1603 |
0.1606 |
|
12 |
Spain |
0.1657 |
0.1765 |
0.1755 |
|
13 |
United Kingdom |
0.2048 |
0.1993 |
0.1834 |
|
14 |
Sweden |
0.1999 |
0.2074 |
0.1912 |
|
15 |
Portugal |
0.1665 |
0.1795 |
0.1913 |
|
16 |
Belgium |
0.1890 |
0.1899 |
0.1930 |
|
17 |
Greece |
0.1970 |
0.1970 |
0.2027 |
|
18 |
Finland |
0.2155 |
0.2263 |
0.2128 |
|
19 |
Australia |
0.2752 |
0.2510 |
0.2417 |
|
20 |
United States |
0.2953 |
0.2843 |
0.2643 |
|
21 |
New Zealand |
0.2706 |
0.2663 |
0.2771 |
|
22 |
Korea |
0.2688 |
0.3049 |
0.3202 |
|
23 |
Canada |
0.3933 |
0.4001 |
0.3645 |
|
24 |
Turkey |
0.3642 |
0.3626 |
0.3687 |
|
25 |
Iceland |
0.3079 |
0.3072 |
0.3787 |
|
26 |
Mexico |
0.4682 |
0.4638 |
0.4263 |
|
27 |
Hungary |
0.5649 |
0.5715 |
0.4880 |
|
28 |
Poland |
0.8752 |
0.7869 |
0.5948 |
|
29 |
Czech Republic |
0.8680 |
0.7953 |
0.7364 |
|
30 |
Slovak Republic |
1.0724 |
0.9583 |
0.8183 |
|
European Union |
0.1651 |
0.1599 |
0.1530 |
Data extracted from IEA Statistics, Energy Balances of OECD Countries 1998-1999 (2001 edition).