Energy Consumption under Circular Economy Conditions in the EU Countries

Abstract

Due to industrialization, urbanization, and rapid population increases, the worldwide energy demand is increasing daily. The need for energy meets limitations, and searching for new energy sources is crucial, particularly for European countries. Energy crises occur temporarily due to different circumstances and cause oil price fluctuations. The present study aims to identify circular economy (CE) determinants that conditionally increase/decrease energy use to remain sustainable. It focuses on the linkage between energy consumption and circular economy in the European Union (EU) member states. In the econometric panel model specifications, two alternative endogenous variables are considered, i.e., total energy consumption and energy consumption from renewable sources. The results demonstrate that the selected CE indicators decreased the former and increased the latter. The data covered the period from 2010–2019. The significance of this study relies upon identifying the current level of CE implementation in the EU countries in the context of reducing total energy consumption and increasing the share of energy from renewable sources.