@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ Decarbonising the energy system in accordance with the Paris agreement requires
The average household energy footprint of European citizens was around 170 gigajoules (GJ) per capita in 2015 [@stadler_exiobase_2018] [@eurostat_eurostat_nodate-3], and the household carbon footprint around 7 tonnes CO2-equivalence (tCO2eq) per capita [@eurostat_eurostat_nodate-4]. However, the differences in household energy and carbon footprints are large within and between different regions in Europe [@ivanova_mapping_2017] [@gore_t._confronting_2020] [@oswald_large_2020]. Energy footprints ranged from less than 100 GJ per capita to over 300 GJ per capita [@oswald_large_2020], and carbon footprints from below 2.5 tCO2eq per capita to 55 tCO2eq per capita [@ivanova_unequal_2020]. Depending on the assumptions of different global decarbonisation scenarios, the average footprints likely need to be reduced to somewhere below 100 GJ per capita [@riahi_shared_2017] [@grubler_low_2018] [@millward-hopkins_providing_2020], and below 2.1 tCO2eq per capita [@akenji_1.5-degree_2019] by 2050, respectively.
In this paper, we assess under what conditions European energy inequality is compatible with the achievement of global climate goals and a decent standard of living, taking both inequality within and between European countries into account. To this end, we first construct household energy and carbon footprints for harmonized European expenditure deciles in 2015, combining data from EUROSTAT's Household Budget Survey (HBS) with the Environmentally-Extended Multi-Regional Input-Output (EE-MRIO) model EXIOBASE. We analyze the distribution of energy and carbon intensities across European expenditure deciles and final consumption categories, and compare this current structure to a hypothetical situation where all European expenditure deciles use the best technology available in Europe. Finally, we examine how the energy inequality across European expenditure deciles would need to change in order to achieve the dual goal of climate protection and a decent standard of living for all.
In this paper, we assess under what conditions European energy inequality is compatible with the achievement of global climate goals and a decent standard of living, taking both inequality within and between European countries into account. To this end, we first construct household energy and carbon footprints for harmonized European expenditure deciles in 2015, combining data from EUROSTAT's Household Budget Survey (HBS) with the Environmentally-Extended Multi-Regional Input-Output (EE-MRIO) model EXIOBASE. We analyze the distribution of energy and carbon intensities across European expenditure deciles and final consumption categories, and compare this current structure to a counterfactual situation where all European expenditure deciles use the best technology available in Europe. Finally, we examine how the energy inequality across European expenditure deciles would need to change in order to achieve the dual goal of climate protection and a decent standard of living for all.
While the European Green Deal already recognizes that inequalities in income, energy infrastructure, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, lead to different responsibilities and capacities in achieving the energy and emission savings targets [@european_commission_communication_2019], a quantification of the attainable corridor for a 1.5°C compatible and just transition in Europe is missing in the literature.
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@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ As inequality measure we use the 10:10 ratio, i.e. the expenditure or the enviro
## Computing maximum permissible inequality
Based on a hypothetical best available technology distribution across European expenditure deciles, for each value combination of maximum energy supply from four scenarios [@riahi_shared_2017] [@gea_gea_nodate] and minimum energy requirements from refs. [@grubler_low_2018] and [@millward-hopkins_providing_2020], the maximum permissible inequality was calculated as a 10:10 ratio using the formula [insert formula]. All data and procedures are described in more detail in the supplementary information (SI).
Based on a counterfactual best available technology distribution across European expenditure deciles, for each value combination of maximum energy supply from four scenarios [@riahi_shared_2017] [@gea_gea_nodate] and minimum energy requirements from refs. [@grubler_low_2018] and [@millward-hopkins_providing_2020], the maximum permissible inequality was calculated as a 10:10 ratio using the formula [insert formula]. All data and procedures are described in more detail in the supplementary information (SI).
