Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in Austria. The Role of Energy Efficiency and Fuel Substitution

In order to achieve the Kyoto target, i.e., reducing CO2 emission by 13 percent against the reference year of 1990 as an average of 2008-2012, it is necessary to substantially improve energy efficiency in industry, transport and private households. In the period spanning 1990-2005, improvements in energy efficiency did not suffice to compensate for the emission-boosting effects of growth rates in production (industry), the stock of cars and goods transport output (traffic), and in overall housing space (households). For industry and private households, a reduction in the emission intensity (emissions per energy unit) curtailed emissions due to a shift in the mix of energy sources used (fuel substitution).