IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i23p7875-d686660.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

R&D Spending in the Energy Sector and Achieving the Goal of Climate Neutrality

Author

Listed:
  • Małgorzata K. Guzowska

    (Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Szczecin, 70-017 Szczecin, Poland)

  • Barbara Kryk

    (Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Szczecin, 70-017 Szczecin, Poland)

  • Dorota Michalak

    (Department of Development Economics, University of Lodz, 90-136 Lodz, Poland)

  • Paulina Szyja

    (Institute of Law and Economics, Pedagogical University of Krakow, 30-084 Krakow, Poland)

Abstract

Research and development (R&D) spending in the energy sector, which is aimed at exploring ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among other things, plays a vital role in achieving the goal of climate neutrality. The purpose of this paper is to assess the environmental performance of R&D spending in the energy sector of selected EU member states from 2011–2017/2019, and to compare the results. Taxonomic research with the zero unitarization method was used, which enabled a synthetic assessment of EU countries according to the environmental performance of the total spending in the energy sector and an analysis of the changes in performance for six categories of spending in this area. The assessment of changes in the environmental performance of individual categories of R&D spending over time using the applied method was an added value compared with the assessment methods previously used in this area. The study found that there were significant differences in the level of environmental efficiency of R&D expenditures in the energy sector between countries, changes in environmental efficiency in most of the countries studied were not satisfactory, the most environmentally efficient expenditures were on renewable energy, other power and storage, hydro and fuel cell technologies, and the least on fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The results reflected both the member states’ progress towards climate neutrality and the discussion on the environmental performance of the means and directions of actions aimed at this.

Suggested Citation

  • Małgorzata K. Guzowska & Barbara Kryk & Dorota Michalak & Paulina Szyja, 2021. "R&D Spending in the Energy Sector and Achieving the Goal of Climate Neutrality," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-25, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:23:p:7875-:d:686660
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/7875/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/7875/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexandr Hobza & Gilles Mourre, 2010. "Quantifying the potential macroeconomic effects of the Europe 2020 strategy: stylised scenarios," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 424, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    2. Iftikhar, Yaser & Wang, Zhaohua & Zhang, Bin & Wang, Bo, 2018. "Energy and CO2 emissions efficiency of major economies: A network DEA approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 197-207.
    3. Barreto, Raul A., 2018. "Fossil fuels, alternative energy and economic growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 196-220.
    4. Wang, Qunwei & Hang, Ye & Sun, Licheng & Zhao, Zengyao, 2016. "Two-stage innovation efficiency of new energy enterprises in China: A non-radial DEA approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 254-261.
    5. Bogdan Włodarczyk & Daniela Firoiu & George H. Ionescu & Florin Ghiocel & Marek Szturo & Lesław Markowski, 2021. "Assessing the Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy Sources Relationship in EU Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Dominik Paprotny, 2016. "Measuring Central and Eastern Europe’s Socio-Economic Development Using Time Lags," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 939-957, July.
    7. Zhao, Haoran & Guo, Sen & Zhao, Huiru, 2019. "Provincial energy efficiency of China quantified by three-stage data envelopment analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 96-107.
    8. Adam P. Balcerzak, 2015. "Europe 2020 Strategy and Structural Diversity Between Old and New Member States. Application of zero-unitarizatin method for dynamic analysis in the years 2004-2013," Working Papers 122/2015, Institute of Economic Research, revised Apr 2015.
    9. Teresa Pakulska, 2021. "Green Energy in Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries: New Challenges on the Path to Sustainable Development," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-19, February.
    10. Ramona Camelia BERE & Ioana BUCERZAN (PRECUP), 2015. "Cluster Analysis on Cohesion Policy Towards Europe 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth," Romanian Statistical Review, Romanian Statistical Review, vol. 63(4), pages 95-111, December.
    11. Klessmann, Corinna & Held, Anne & Rathmann, Max & Ragwitz, Mario, 2011. "Status and perspectives of renewable energy policy and deployment in the European Union—What is needed to reach the 2020 targets?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7637-7657.
    12. Sara Ilahi & Yongchang Wu & Muhammad Ahsan Ali Raza & Wenshan Wei & Muhammad Imran & Lyankhua Bayasgalankhuu, 2019. "Optimization Approach for Improving Energy Efficiency and Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Emission of Wheat Crop using Data Envelopment Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.
    13. Blanka Vitéz & Saskia Lavrijssen, 2020. "The Energy Transition: Democracy, Justice and Good Regulation of the Heat Market," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-24, March.
    14. Liobikienė, Genovaitė & Butkus, Mindaugas, 2017. "The European Union possibilities to achieve targets of Europe 2020 and Paris agreement climate policy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 298-309.
    15. Jacek Brożyna & Wadim Strielkowski & Alena Fomina & Natalya Nikitina, 2020. "Renewable Energy and EU 2020 Target for Energy Efficiency in the Czech Republic and Slovakia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    16. Ringel, Marc & Knodt, Michèle, 2018. "The Governance of the European Energy Union: Efficiency, effectiveness and acceptance of the Winter Package 2016," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 110990, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    17. Du, Huibin & Matisoff, Daniel C. & Wang, Yangyang & Liu, Xi, 2016. "Understanding drivers of energy efficiency changes in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1196-1206.
    18. Kukula, Karol & Bogocz, Danuta, 2014. "Zero Unitarization Method And Its Application In Ranking Research In Agriculture," Economic and Regional Studies (Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne), John Paul II University of Applied Sciences in Biala Podlaska, vol. 7(3), July.
    19. Johannes Thema & Felix Suerkemper & Johan Couder & Nora Mzavanadze & Souran Chatterjee & Jens Teubler & Stefan Thomas & Diana Ürge-Vorsatz & Martin Bo Hansen & Stefan Bouzarovski & Jana Rasch & Sabine, 2019. "The Multiple Benefits of the 2030 EU Energy Efficiency Potential," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    20. Wiktoria Sobczyk & Eugeniusz Jacek Sobczyk, 2021. "Varying the Energy Mix in the EU-28 and in Poland as a Step towards Sustainable Development," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, March.
    21. Barbara Kryk & Małgorzata Klaudia Guzowska, 2021. "Implementation of Climate/Energy Targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy by the EU Member States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, May.
    22. Paolo Zangheri & Marina Economidou & Nicola Labanca, 2019. "Progress in the Implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive through the Lens of the National Annual Reports," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, March.
    23. Kacper Szulecki, 2016. "European energy governance and decarbonization policy: learning from the 2020 strategy," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(5), pages 543-547, July.
    24. Mehmet Çolak & Aylin Ege, 2013. "An Assessment of EU 2020 Strategy: Too Far to Reach?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(2), pages 659-680, January.
    25. Francesco Pasimeni & Paolo Pasimeni, 2016. "An Institutional Analysis of the Europe 2020 Strategy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 1021-1038, July.
    26. Lilia Yotova & Kristina Stefanova, 2017. "Efficiency of Tertiary Education Expenditure in CEE Countries: Data Envelopment Analysis," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 352-364, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Svetlana Ratner & Konstantin Gomonov & Svetlana Revinova, 2023. "Public Funding for Energy Innovation and Decarbonization Goals: A Coherence Challenge," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(4), pages 40-45, July.
    2. Lazar Gitelman & Mikhail Kozhevnikov, 2022. "Energy Transition Manifesto: A Contribution towards the Discourse on the Specifics Amid Energy Crisis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-21, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barbara Kryk & Małgorzata Klaudia Guzowska, 2021. "Implementation of Climate/Energy Targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy by the EU Member States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Malgorzata Klaudia Guzowska & Barbara Kryk, 2021. "Efficiency of Implementing Climate/Energy Targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Structural Diversity between Old and New Member States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Magdalena Radulescu & Aleksandra Fedajev & Crenguta Ileana Sinisi & Constanta Popescu & Silvia Elena Iacob, 2018. "Europe 2020 Implementation as Driver of Economic Performance and Competitiveness. Panel Analysis of CEE Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-20, February.
    4. M. Isabel Landaluce-Calvo & Mariola Gozalo-Delgado, 2021. "Proposal for a Dynamic Composite Indicator: Application in a Comparative Analysis of Trends in the EU Member States Towards the Europe 2020 Strategy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 1031-1053, April.
    5. Robert K. MacGregor & Radka MacGregor Pelikánova, 2019. "Shareholder Engagement for Corporate Governance in the Light of the Harmonization and Transposition," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(4), pages 22-34.
    6. Magdalena Tutak & Jarosław Brodny & Peter Bindzár, 2021. "Assessing the Level of Energy and Climate Sustainability in the European Union Countries in the Context of the European Green Deal Strategy and Agenda 2030," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-32, March.
    7. Marek Walesiak & Grażyna Dehnel & Marek Obrębalski, 2021. "Assessment of the Europe 2020 Strategy: A Multidimensional Indicator Analysis via Dynamic Relative Taxonomy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.
    8. Malgorzata K. Guzowska & Barbara Kryk, 2020. "Implementation of the Social Goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy by EU Member States," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 58-74.
    9. Malgorzata K. Guzowska & Barbara Kryk, 2020. "Implementation of the Social Goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy by EU Member States," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 1213-1229.
    10. Katarzyna Chudy-Laskowska & Tomasz Pisula, 2022. "An Analysis of the Use of Energy from Conventional Fossil Fuels and Green Renewable Energy in the Context of the European Union’s Planned Energy Transformation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-23, October.
    11. Antunes, Jorge Junio Moreira & Neves, Juliana Campos & Elmor, Larissa Rosa Carneiro & Araujo, Michel Fontaine Reis De & Wanke, Peter Fernandes & Tan, Yong, 2023. "A new perspective on the U.S. energy efficiency: The political context," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PA).
    12. Jorge Chica‐Olmo & Marina Checa‐Olivas, 2021. "Spatial impact of factors influencing the achievement of the Europa2020 employment targets," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(3), pages 633-649, June.
    13. Namahoro, J.P. & Nzabanita, J. & Wu, Q., 2021. "The impact of total and renewable energy consumption on economic growth in lower and middle- and upper-middle-income groups: Evidence from CS-DL and CCEMG analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    14. Ge Huang & Wei Pan & Cheng Hu & Wu-Lin Pan & Wan-Qiang Dai, 2021. "Energy Utilization Efficiency of China Considering Carbon Emissions—Based on Provincial Panel Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-14, January.
    15. Thomas Adisorn & Lena Tholen & Johannes Thema & Hauke Luetkehaus & Sibylle Braungardt & Katja Huenecke & Katja Schumacher, 2020. "Towards a More Realistic Cost–Benefit Analysis—Attempting to Integrate Transaction Costs and Energy Efficiency Services," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    16. Zhang, Yue-Jun & Jiang, Lin & Shi, Wei, 2020. "Exploring the growth-adjusted energy-emission efficiency of transportation industry in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    17. Michał Bernard Pietrzak & Adam P. Balcerzak, 2016. "Quality of Institutions and Total Factor Productivity in the European Union," Statistics in Transition new series, Główny Urząd Statystyczny (Polska), vol. 17(3), pages 497-514, September.
    18. Joaquín Fuentes-del-Burgo & Elena Navarro-Astor & Nuno M. M. Ramos & João Poças Martins, 2021. "Exploring the Critical Barriers to the Implementation of Renewable Technologies in Existing University Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-24, November.
    19. Barnabé Walheer, 2019. "Disentangling Heterogeneity Gaps and Pure Performance Differences in Composite Indexes Over Time: The Case of the Europe 2020 Strategy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 25-45, May.
    20. Marišová, Eleonóra & Mariš, Martin & Gaduš, Ján & Parlińska, Agnieszka, 2018. "Legal Regulations and the Perspectives of Renewable Energy Policy in Selected EU Member States," Problems of World Agriculture / Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, vol. 18(33, Part ), September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:23:p:7875-:d:686660. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.