(CN) — After tracking several years of declining fossil fuel dependency, the European Union's use increased 5% last year, according to data published by Eurostat on Thursday. Energy trends continue to drive record high inflation across the continent.
In his spring report, the EU economic commissioner Paolo Gentiloni anticipated inflation hitting 7.5% before falling. A May report from Eurostat tracked 8.1% inflation across the 19 EU countries using the euro as currency, driven by a near 40% hike in energy prices.
The European Central Bank cites rising costs of energy and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as accelerating the EU’s record high inflation. The EU imports more than a quarter of its crude oil from Russia, along with 46% of solid fuel and 40% of natural gas.
Energy only makes up about 10% of EU household spending, while about 40% goes to services and 20% to food, alcohol and tobacco.
“The rise in 2021 was to a large extent caused by the post-lockdown industrial recovery, as well as by the increased use of coal for electricity and heat generation in some EU countries, as a replacement for the increasingly expensive natural gas,” Thursday's Eurostat report explained.
The EU’s fossil fuel use dropped below renewable energy use for the first time in 2020, a trend attributed largely to Covid-19 lockdowns.
Petroleum consumption dropped 12% in 2020. Even with a 5% spike in 2021, petroleum use remains below pre-pandemic levels. Gas, diesel oil and motor gasoline demand increased nearly 60% across the EU last year.
Coal consumption also increased last year, but remained at its second lowest point since 1990.
The EU tracked increases in lignite and bituminous coals, as well as oil shale and oil sands, while EU use of peat and coal tar decreased.
Natural gas contributes the most to energy in the EU, followed by oil and petroleum products. In 2021, Bulgaria reported the largest increase in natural gas use, 13%, followed by Slovakia, 11%. Sweden tracked the greatest decreases in natural gas use, down 9%, followed by Denmark, Lithuania and Portugal which each reported decreases in the range of 4%.
Electricity use increased 4% in 2021, with fossil fuel generating more power than renewable energy. Still, the EU saw several green gains, including a 13% increase in solar energy production and a 9.6% increase in solid biofuels. Hydro and wind power decreased by 1% and 3%. Nuclear energy generation increased 7%.
Sweden reported the highest renewable energy generation in the EU, 30%, followed by Finland, 27%, and Latvia at 26%.
With the goal of becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050, the EU adopted the European Green Deal in December 2019. In the face of climate change, the pact aims to transform and decarbonize the EU’s energy system.
Follow @bright_lamp
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
