Definition: energy productivity is the gross domestic product (GDP) per unit of gross available energy consumption. Gross available energy consumption (measured in kilograms of oil equivalent) is the primary energy consumption, to which are added the consumption of energy products for non-energy purposes (e.g. oil as a raw material in the chemical industry) and the sea bunkers (the fuel supplied to vessels for international trips). Gross domestic product (GDP) is measured in chain euros (reference year 2010); the evolution of GDP is thus examined after eliminating the changes in the prices of goods and services over time (i.e. inflation). The data come from Eurostat.

Goal: achieve an energy productivity of 11.4 euros per kilogram of oil equivalent by 2030.

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 7.3: “By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency”.

This target is to double the global improvement in energy efficiency by 2030. Eurostat uses energy productivity to measure energy efficiency from a macroeconomic point of view, which is why this indicator is used here. The energy productivity target can be calculated by assuming that its growth rate should double compared to the 2000-2015 period. Calculated as such, energy productivity in Belgium should reach 11.4 euros per kilogram of oil equivalent by 2030.

International comparison: in 2021, energy productivity in the European Union (EU27) is considerably higher than in Belgium: 8.5 against 6.5 euros per kilogram of oil equivalent. Moreover, the gap, which had been on a downward trend until 2012, has increased again since then. When Member States are divided into three groups, Belgium is part of the group with average performance and lags behind the European average in 2021. In that year, Ireland ranked first with 24.4 euros per kilogram of oil equivalent and Bulgaria last with 2.5 euros per kilogram of oil equivalent.

UN indicator: the selected indicator corresponds to indicator 7.3.1 Energy intensity measured in terms of primary energy and GDP. Energy productivity is the inverse of energy intensity.

Sources

• SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals: United Nations (2015), Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, document A/RES/70/1.

• Indicators: United Nations (2017), Work of the Statistical Commission pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017, document A/RES/71/313.

• UN Sustainable Development: https://sdgs.un.org/ (consulted on 18/01/2023).

• UN Sustainable Development Goal indicators website: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/ (consulted on 18/01/2023).

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