How energy is produced in the EU (and how much greenhouse gas it produces)
The natural resources used to produce energy directly impact CO2 emission levels and the long-term environmental sustainability of the energy sector. National differences within the EU are large, and suggest the very different approaches being taken.
(© Vyacheslav Svetlichnyy/Shutterstock)
How energy is produced in the EU (and how much greenhouse gas it produces)
The natural resources used to produce energy directly impact CO2 emission levels and the long-term environmental sustainability of the energy sector. National differences within the EU are large, and suggest the very different approaches being taken.
(© Vyacheslav Svetlichnyy/Shutterstock)
Of all the activities that produce greenhouse gas, energy production is responsible for the most CO2-equivalent emissions.
Generally speaking, renewable energy sources are preferable to fossil fuels due to the lighter impact of emissions on the atmosphere, and the accessibility of the raw materials. This makes renewable energy more sustainable in the long term.
Consequently, in recent years the EU has decided to actively encourage the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. But how are EU countries producing their energy?
The Transparency platform run by ENTSO-E (the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity) has released data making it possible to analyse the installed energy capacity of different European countries.
The graphic shows the megawatt capacity of the energy systems in different countries, differentiating 21 different technologies.
The original data is presented hierarchically, so that we can compare countries, the proportions of energy produ