Is energy efficiency in Navarre changing?
The Government of Navarra has submitted a study on energy consumption in Navarre with data from 2022. And it has done so with a lot of optimism, like a breakthrough in energy efficiency, less dependence on external energy sources and decarbonisation. But let's see what's really behind all this.
First concern: Fossil energy consumption accounted for 79% of primary energy consumption in 2022. Practically the same as in previous decades, although it is developing a great deal of renewable energy. This fact challenges the approach of those who argue that the substitution of fossil fuels in the institutional and business world will come from the expansion and uncritical implementation of renewables.
Second verifiable data: In Navarre, electricity consumption remained low, down 0.7% in 2022. Electricity is only 21% of the total energy we consume. And since 2008, electricity consumption in energy units has not increased, maintaining a very stable trend. How do we want electricity generation renewables to expand and decrease fossil dependence if electricity consumption does not increase?
From these tests, it seems that "the transition to renewables", as they sell us, is not working. This is precisely what is happening in an advanced autonomous community in the development of "clean" energies. This problem focuses on the serious structural problems of this type of energy in order to cope with the form and quantity of consumption we make in today's capitalist society.
Another element highlighted by advisor Irujo when presenting the 2022 Energy Balance was improving energy efficiency. This indicator aims to measure the amount of energy consumed per euro produced by the Community economy. The generation of wealth with lower energy consumption may conclude that it leads to greater sustainability, as it reduces the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere to try to curb climate change.
With renewables, we're not replacing fossil fuels, and the expansion of renewables increases the stractivism of new materials and has an impact on ecosystem sustainability.
According to Navarra's energy balance, this indicator has improved over the last 10 years with an energy efficiency improvement of 16.30%. This means that to produce a wealth of one euro, 86 tonnes of oil is needed, compared with 102 tonnes in 2012. This effectiveness was particularly appreciated by the advisor in the industrial field. So things, it seems we were getting better…
However, in order to assess overall energy efficiency we should analyze the generation of wealth in euros in Navarra. It is not the same to produce material goods, for which it is necessary to transform matter using energy, to produce "immaterial" goods as services. In general, the latter consume less energy, but in the case of tourism we rely heavily on fossil fuels. Given that we continue to consume the same amount of matter, we have realized that we are producing less thanks to import. There are the phenomena of deindustrialization, relocation or activity reduction, not only because of problems in supply chains.
In 2022, exports from Navarre grew by 11.2% compared to 2021. But at the same time imports grew even more, 26.8%. Thus, behind the aspect in which we consume less energy, although we raise GDP, there is bad news: the drop in domestic energy consumption requires an externalized, unaccounted and unsustainable energy consumption, and goods are imported and transported from other parts of the planet. It is our contribution to increasing global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
The institutional discourse, as a speaker of green capitalism, clashes with reality. It is about imposing the illusion of economic growth and the production of goods through renewable energy sources and technological development. In reality, we continue to maintain or increase the same energy consumption (outermost interior) and the same level of pollution, while with renewables we are not replacing fossil fuels, and the expansion of renewables increases the stractivism of new materials and has an impact on the sustainability of ecosystems. Data and scientific evidence indicate the need for a new route.
We need new dynamics and proposals to open new scenarios that question the current model of search for production, consumption and business profit. Reducing the use of natural resources and pollution, developing real and materially effective policies that will lead to social equality and collective well-being here and on the rest of the planet.
Pablo Lorente and Jule Goñi, members of the Subai Erakuntza Foundation
Navarra, 24 January 2024.
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