Dutch historical energetic CO2 emissions, 1800-2012

From peat to coal to natural gas, indications of an Environmental Kuznets Curve? ; GGDC Research Memorandum Nr. 150

This paper estimates new time series of historical energetic CO2 emissions in the Netherlands. The Dutch emissions have been growing at an almost constant growth rate since the 1810s, after 1970 this growth rate decreased and emissions finally peaked in 2004. Although there are indications of an Environmental Kuznets Curve for Dutch energetic CO2 emissions, its existence cannot be formally confirmed. By using a Kaya Identity decomposition, the drivers of the CO2 emissions can be identified. While economic development and population growth put a constantly increasing pressure on emissions, structural changes and decarbonization of the energy system can induce emissions reductions. The rise of the service economy in the 1970s reduced the energy intensity of the Dutch economy, and therewith its CO2 intensity. The rapid introduction of natural gas in the 1960s made the Dutch energy system markedly less carbon intensive; after the 1970s, major reductions in carbon intensity of energy have been lacking, as the (slowly) increasing share of modern renewable energy sources has been largely offset by a renewed interest in coal after the oil crises.

Bibliographische Angaben:
Hölsgens, Henricus:
Dutch historical energetic CO2 emissions, 1800-2012
From peat to coal to natural gas, indications of an Environmental Kuznets Curve? ; GGDC Research Memorandum Nr. 150;
Groningen: University of Groningen, 2014


URL: http://www.ggdc.net/publications/memorandum/gd150.pdf

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