the USA in 2012. Also analyzing GHG emissions per capita worldwide, the
European Union decreased them at 10.86 t CO2 per capita in 1990 to 8.22 t CO2
per capita in 2012, which is characterized by a difference of 4.43 t CO2 per capita
that is above the world average in 1990 and 1.47 t CO2 per capita that is above the
world average in 2012. In addition, it is remarkable that this indicator has been
decreasing at EU level compared to other regions since 1990, being placed in 2012
after Australia, Canada, the USA, Russia, Japan, and a few other states belonging to
other continents. Thus, the BRIC, the USA, and the EU are noticed as the most
polluted regions globally. Moreover, there is an increase in the share of emissions
from the energy sector in total global emissions, demonstrated by 69,51% of this
indicator in 1990 and 73,74% in 2012. The European Union has contributed to the
energy sector of 82,24% in total EU28 emissions in 1990 and 88.11% in 2012,
respectively (WRI 2015). It is noteworthy in this context that the European Union
has adopted energy policies to reduce GHG emissions much more efficiently over
time. In this context, a number of European Union publications and legislation have
recently been developed to develop the green energy field, targeting the use of
renewable sources with a low impact on human health, biodiversity, and natural
environment, the use of energy-efficient products and services, as well as the
realization of energy saving. However, indicators that monitor the evolution of
these targets in the relationship between energy and climate change only aim at
adopting renewable energies and achieving energy savings.
Thus, EU Member States have assumed different climate and energy-related
change targets, building on the Kyoto Protocol proposals, sustainable economic
models, and, more recently, the Paris Conference of 2015 on mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The EU’s energy legislative framework proposes measures
to maintain at the most the current global warming, highlighting the need for global
commitments that, at the same time, address the challenges of energy security and
security, the internal and external dimensions of the energy market, energy efficiency, technological progress, and innovation (European Commission 2010a). On
the whole, the EU predicts an increase in energy demand, due inter alia to the access
of all citizens to energy, and finds much higher electricity prices in the EU than the
USA and China (Capros et al. 2009; European Commission 2010a). But, more
recently, in a report in 2016, Capros et al. (2016) indicate that energy consumption
is more energy efficient due to the green policies pursued, thus predicting the decline
in energy demand with the rise in social welfare by 2050. But the issue of rising
energy prices remains a challenge in these more recent scenarios (Capros et al.
2016). However, energy issues find their way in promoting renewable energies and
increasing energy savings by improving energy efficiency and energy conservation.
The EU notes that over a period of 5 years, jobs generated by the green energy
industry have increased by about 320,000 (European Commission 2011), demonstrating support for the social dimension through the adoption of green energy, but it
should not be neglected the loss of jobs in the fields based on the use of fossil fuels.
In this context, the EU and, in particular, the Member States are currently building
national plans for considering the relationship between energy and climate change,
152
D.-A. Bodislav et al.
European Union decreased them at 10.86 t CO2 per capita in 1990 to 8.22 t CO2
per capita in 2012, which is characterized by a difference of 4.43 t CO2 per capita
that is above the world average in 1990 and 1.47 t CO2 per capita that is above the
world average in 2012. In addition, it is remarkable that this indicator has been
decreasing at EU level compared to other regions since 1990, being placed in 2012
after Australia, Canada, the USA, Russia, Japan, and a few other states belonging to
other continents. Thus, the BRIC, the USA, and the EU are noticed as the most
polluted regions globally. Moreover, there is an increase in the share of emissions
from the energy sector in total global emissions, demonstrated by 69,51% of this
indicator in 1990 and 73,74% in 2012. The European Union has contributed to the
energy sector of 82,24% in total EU28 emissions in 1990 and 88.11% in 2012,
respectively (WRI 2015). It is noteworthy in this context that the European Union
has adopted energy policies to reduce GHG emissions much more efficiently over
time. In this context, a number of European Union publications and legislation have
recently been developed to develop the green energy field, targeting the use of
renewable sources with a low impact on human health, biodiversity, and natural
environment, the use of energy-efficient products and services, as well as the
realization of energy saving. However, indicators that monitor the evolution of
these targets in the relationship between energy and climate change only aim at
adopting renewable energies and achieving energy savings.
Thus, EU Member States have assumed different climate and energy-related
change targets, building on the Kyoto Protocol proposals, sustainable economic
models, and, more recently, the Paris Conference of 2015 on mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The EU’s energy legislative framework proposes measures
to maintain at the most the current global warming, highlighting the need for global
commitments that, at the same time, address the challenges of energy security and
security, the internal and external dimensions of the energy market, energy efficiency, technological progress, and innovation (European Commission 2010a). On
the whole, the EU predicts an increase in energy demand, due inter alia to the access
of all citizens to energy, and finds much higher electricity prices in the EU than the
USA and China (Capros et al. 2009; European Commission 2010a). But, more
recently, in a report in 2016, Capros et al. (2016) indicate that energy consumption
is more energy efficient due to the green policies pursued, thus predicting the decline
in energy demand with the rise in social welfare by 2050. But the issue of rising
energy prices remains a challenge in these more recent scenarios (Capros et al.
2016). However, energy issues find their way in promoting renewable energies and
increasing energy savings by improving energy efficiency and energy conservation.
The EU notes that over a period of 5 years, jobs generated by the green energy
industry have increased by about 320,000 (European Commission 2011), demonstrating support for the social dimension through the adoption of green energy, but it
should not be neglected the loss of jobs in the fields based on the use of fossil fuels.
In this context, the EU and, in particular, the Member States are currently building
national plans for considering the relationship between energy and climate change,
152
D.-A. Bodislav et al.