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Energy performance of European countries by considering the role of forest

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Abstract

This paper applies the modified undesirable dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model by considering the role of forest carbon sinks to evaluate European countries’ carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and productivity efficiency. Taking population and energy consumption as input variables, gross domestic product (GDP) as the desirable input, CO2 as the undesirable output, and fixed assets as an inter-temporal carry-out input variable, our results suggest considering the fixed amount of the forest carbon sinks significantly affects efficiency rankings. The overall efficiency rankings for Ireland, Austria, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Belgium look to be overrated, while those of Finland, France, and Netherlands are apparently underrated. In terms of Total-Factor Efficiency analysis, countries with the best performance in efficiency ranking are Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, and the UK, thanks to their long-term effort at addressing the impact of forest carbon sinks and the effect of CO2 emissions on efficiency.

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Notes

  1. Carbon sinks refer to processes, activities, or mechanisms capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Multimedia and Game Science, College of Humanities and Design, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, No. 300, Sec.1, Wanshou RdGuishan District, Taoyuan City, 333, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Liang Chun Lu

  2. Department of Economics, Soochow University, No.56, Kueiyang St., Sec. 1 100, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Shih-Yung Chiu, Yung-Ho Chiu & Tzu-Han Chang

  3. National Taipei University of Technology, No.1, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao E. Rd, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan, Republic of China

    William Tang

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  1. Liang Chun Lu
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Contributions

All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Liang Chun Lu –30% E-mail: ryan@mail.lhu.edu.tw.

Topic setting, data collection, the empirical results about the outcomes of the data analysis

Shih-Yung Chiu –30% E-mail: sychiu@scu.edu.tw.

Introduction, literature and the discussion about the interpretation of the results and the importance to existing and future research.

Yung-ho Chiu –15% E-mail: echiu@scu.edu.tw.

Model setting and discussion.

Tzu-Han Chang –15% E-mail: angleyc06@gmail.com.

Data collection and empirical analysis.

William Tang – 10% E-mail: t107749008@ntut.edu.tw.

Writing check and edit.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shih-Yung Chiu.

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Lu, L., Chiu, SY., Chiu, YH. et al. Energy performance of European countries by considering the role of forest. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 44162–44174 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-18917-5

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