Energías renovables y desarrollo económico. Un análisis para España y las grandes economías europeas

Abstract

Background: This paper assesses the sustainability of the Spanish economic development model for the period 1980-2010. Moreover, we carry out a comparative analysis with the biggest European economies: France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. Methods: In order to achieve the aim of this paper, co-integration techniques have been applied. Through these techniques, we have analyzed the long-term relationship between consumption of renewable and non-renewable and economic development and pollution during the period 1980-2010. After a selection process, for Spain we have used to measure growth the GDP and the Gross Capital Formation; to measure development, the Index of Human Development and Social Capital; for pollution, the emissions of CO 2 and consumption of renewable energy in the electricity system and oil consumption for the consumption of renewable and non-renewable, respectively. the availability of data for these countries Gross Capital Formation and Human Development Index have been excluded from the analysis. Results: First, a positive impact of consumption of renewable and renewable energy on growth and development is found for the five countries under study, with a greater impact of non-renewable energy. For the three countries for which the data for CO 2 emissions are available (Spain, France and the UK), it is observed that the reducing effect of renewable energy on CO 2 emissions is less than the polluting effect of non-renewable energy. Second, for Spain, Germany and France, the data point out a feedback process between the consumption of non-renewable and growth and development, which is not observed with the consumption of renewable energy. Conclusions: In order to reconcile the objective of growth with the reduction of pollution, more moderate growth rates are required. The growth model of the countries analyzed stimulates consumption of non-renewable energy, but not renewable. This result points out the requirement of designing policies that encourage the substitution of non-renewable energy by renewable energy. Key words: sustainability, economic development, renewable energy, non-renewable energy. JEL Classification: O44, Q43. RESUMENAntecedentes: Este trabajo evalúa la sostenibilidad del modelo de desarrollo econó-mico español en el periodo 1980-2010. Asimismo, realiza un análisis comparativo con las grandes economías europeas: Alemania, Francia, Italia y Reino Unido. Metodología: Para alcanzar el objetivo del trabajo se han empleado técnicas de cointegración. Mediante estas técnicas se analiza la relación a largo plazo del consumo de energías renovables y no renovables con el desarrollo económico y la contaminación en el periodo 1980-2010. Tras un proceso de selección de variables, para España se ha utilizado el Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) y la Formación Bruta de Capital, para medir el crecimiento, el Índice de Desarrollo Humano y el Capital Social, para el desarrollo, las emisiones de CO 2 para la contaminación, el consumo de energía renovable en el sistema eléctrico y el consum...

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