Household consumption, associated fossil fuel demand and carbon dioxide emissions: The case of Greece between 1990 and 2006

This paper explores how Greece’s household consumption has changed between 1990 and 2006 and its environmental implications in terms of fossil fuel demand and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The results show that the 44% increase in Greece’s household expenditure between 1990 and 2006 was accompanied by a 67% increase in fossil fuel demand. Of this total, indirect demand accounted for approximately 60% throughout the 16-year period, increasing by 56% overall, whereas direct fossil fuel demand grew by 80%. The results also show that associated CO2 emissions increased by 60%, resulting in a “relative decoupling” from energy demand. This relative decoupling is shown to be due to fossil fuel mix changes from the supply side rather than action from consumers. These insights highlight the opportunities for demand-side policies to further reduce fossil fuel demand and CO2 emissions, allowing Greece to set more proactive and ambitious post-Kyoto targets.