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Can Declining Energy Intensity Mitigate Climate Change? Decomposition and Meta-Regression Results

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Listed author(s):
  • Stephan B. Bruns
  • Christian Gross

Abstract

Drawing on the Kaya identity, we assess the role of the main driver of the decline in carbon intensity, namely the (economic) energy intensity. Using meta-signi?ficance testing for a sample of 44 studies, dealing with the causality between energy and GDP, we ?find that both variables are strongly coupled. Hence, after having exhausted energy savings from nonrecurring structural changes, the economic energy intensity may soon converge than being arbitrarily reducible. We suggest, therefore, not to rely on further reductions of economic energy intensity but rather to invest in the reduction of the carbon intensity of energy to mitigate climate change.

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File URL: ftp://137.248.191.199/RePEc/esi/discussionpapers/2012-11.pdf
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Paper provided by Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography in its series Papers on Economics and Evolution with number 2012-11.

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Length: 11 pages
Date of creation: 31 May 2012
Handle: RePEc:esi:evopap:2012-11
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Keywords: Climate change mitigation; Kaya identity; Energy intensity; Meta-significance testing;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
  • Q43 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy and the Macroeconomy
  • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects

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  1. Engle, Robert & Granger, Clive, 2015. "Co-integration and error correction: Representation, estimation, and testing," Applied Econometrics, Publishing House "SINERGIA PRESS", vol. 39(3), pages 106-135.
  2. Ozturk, Ilhan, 2010. "A literature survey on energy-growth nexus," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 340-349, January.
  3. Brannlund, Runar & Ghalwash, Tarek & Nordstrom, Jonas, 2007. "Increased energy efficiency and the rebound effect: Effects on consumption and emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-17, January.
  4. James E. Payne, 2010. "Survey of the international evidence on the causal relationship between energy consumption and growth," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 37(1), pages 53-95, January.
  5. Sorrell, Steve, 2009. "Jevons' Paradox revisited: The evidence for backfire from improved energy efficiency," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1456-1469, April.
  6. Kander, Astrid, 2005. "Baumol's disease and dematerialization of the economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 119-130, October.
  7. Baksi, Soham & Green, Chris, 2007. "Calculating economy-wide energy intensity decline rate: The role of sectoral output and energy shares," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6457-6466, December.
  8. Henriques, Sofia Teives & Kander, Astrid, 2010. "The modest environmental relief resulting from the transition to a service economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 271-282, December.
  9. Gross, Christian, 2012. "Explaining the (non-) causality between energy and economic growth in the U.S.—A multivariate sectoral analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 489-499.
  10. Druckman, Angela & Chitnis, Mona & Sorrell, Steve & Jackson, Tim, 2011. "Missing carbon reductions? Exploring rebound and backfire effects in UK households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3572-3581, June.
  11. T. D. Stanley, 2005. "Beyond Publication Bias," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(3), pages 309-345, 07.
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Cited by:

  1. Coers, Robin & Sanders, Mark, 2013. "The energy–GDP nexus; addressing an old question with new methods," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 708-715.
  2. Bennouna, Amin & El Hebil, Charaf, 2016. "Energy needs for Morocco 2030, as obtained from GDP-energy and GDP-energy intensity correlations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 45-55.
  3. Corina PÎRLOGEA & Ion POPA & Corina FR?SINEANU, 2012. "Macroeconomic Indicators Used to Study the Efficiency of Investments in Renewable Energy Field," Economia. Seria Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 15(2), pages 308-315, December.

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