Abstract
Comparing the spatial differences in the energy intensity of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries and identifying the factors that influence these differences can help the G20 countries formulate targeted policies to achieve energy conservation goals. This study analyzes the spatial differences in the G20 countries’ energy intensity at the aggregate and sectoral levels based on an input–output framework and reveals its driving factors by employing multiplicative structural decomposition analysis, obtaining the sectoral energy intensity, input structure, and final demand structure effects. The results show that: (1) the gap in aggregate energy intensity among the G20 countries tended to converge from 2000 to 2014 with the reducing energy intensity in Russia, India, China, and South Korea having great potential to reduce global energy consumption and improve global energy efficiency; (2) in 2014, the main driving forces for above-average energy intensity was the sectoral energy intensity effect in India, South Korea, and Canada, the input structure effect in Russia and China, and the final demand structure effect in Indonesia; (3) using the average of the G20 countries as a reference, the energy reduction potential of China, Russia, India, South Korea, Indonesia, and Canada is 62.75, 31.94, 21.24, 7.67, 1.47, and 0.81 exajoules (EJ), respectively. The embodied energy consumption decline in these countries was equivalent to 21.78% of the G20’s total energy consumption in 2014; and (4) the most important factor of the high embodied energy intensity of key sectors in India and South Korea is the sectoral energy intensity effect, while for Russia and China, it is the input structure effect.
Highlights
The rapid development of the world economy is increasing the pressure on energy supply and discovering methods for cleaner industrial production has become crucial
(1) We first analyze the spatial differences in energy intensity among the G20 countries at the aggregate and sectoral levels
The data provided by the World Input–Output Database (WIOD) does not include Argentina, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union, so this study mainly analyzes 16 G20 countries: five European countries, namely, Germany, France, British, Italy, and Turkey; Australia; three North American countries, that is, the United States, Mexico, Canada; Brazil in South America; five Asian countries, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, India, China; and Russia
Summary
The rapid development of the world economy is increasing the pressure on energy supply and discovering methods for cleaner industrial production has become crucial. Studies have mainly explored the influencing factors of energy intensity at the national level, and the research methods employed primarily include index decomposition analysis (IDA) and structural decomposition analysis (SDA). Method with a multiplicative LMDI to study the factors that influenced China’s carbon emission intensity changes from 2007 to 2012 at the national level, final demand category, and sectoral level, providing a satisfactory solution to the industry segmentation effect problem. (1) We first analyze the spatial differences in energy intensity among the G20 countries at the aggregate and sectoral levels. (2) By employing the multiplicative SDA method, we decompose the driving factors of energy intensity differences among the G20 countries into sectoral intensity, input structure, and final demand structure effects.
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