Examining the energy-related CO2 emissions using Decomposition Approach in EU-15 before and after the Kyoto Protocol

This study breaks down carbon emissions into six effects within the European group - EU-15 countries – and analyses their evolution before and after the Kyoto Protocol in order to determine which of them has more impact in the intensity of emissions in those countries. The 'complete decomposition' technique was used to examine the CO2 emissions and its components: carbon intensity,(CI effect), the changes in fossil fuels consumption towards total energy consumption,(EM effect), the change in energy intensity effect,(EG effect), the average renewable capacity productivity (GC effect), the change in capacity of renewable energy per capita (CP effect), and the change in population, (P effect). It is shown that in both periods (before and after Kyoto protocol) for Germany, Denmark and Sweden reductions in CO2 emissions; in particular, with higher levels of differentiation in Germany and Sweden, before Kyoto commitment, it was explained by the predominance of negative effects on the negative variations of three effects decomposed. In the post Kyoto period there is even a greater differential in the negative changes in CO2 emissions, which were caused by the negative contribution of the intensity variations of the effects EM, GC, CP and P that exceeded the positive changes occurred in CI and EG effects. It seems also important to stress the fluctuations in CO2 variations before and after Kyoto, turning positive changes to negative changes, especially in France, Italy and Spain.