1.                  INDICATOR  

(a)                Name:  Annual energy consumption per capita.  

(b)               Brief Definition:  The per capita amount of energy - liquids, solids, gases and electricity – available in a given year in a given country or geographical area.  

(c)                Unit of Measurement:  Gigajoules.  

(d)               Placement in the CSD Indicator Set:  Economic/Consumption and Production Patterns/ Energy Use.  

2.         POLICY RELEVANCE  

(a)                Purpose:  The indicator is a widely used measure of access to and use of energy, individual and industrial energy consumption patterns and the energy intensity of a society.  

(b)               Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable Development (theme/sub-theme):  Energy is a key factor in industrial development and in providing vital services that improve the quality of life.  Traditionally energy has been regarded as the engine of economic progress.  However, its production, use, and byproducts have resulted in major pressures on the environment, both from a resource use and pollution point of view.  The decoupling of energy use from development represents a major challenge of sustainable development.  The long-term aim is for development and prosperity to continue through gains in energy efficiency rather than increased consumption and a transition towards the environmentally friendly use of renewable resources.  On the other hand, limited access to energy is a serious constraint to development in the developing world, where the per capita use of energy is less than one sixth that of the industrialized world.  

(c)                International Conventions and Agreements:  UNFCC and the Kyoto Protocol call for limitations on total greenhouse gas emissions, which are dominated by COs from the combustion of fossil fuels.  

(d)               International Targets/Recommended Standards:  The Kyoto Protocol sets targets for total greenhouse gas emissions for Annex I (developed) countries.  

(e)                Linkages to Other Indicators: The indicator is closely linked with other indicators of the economy, with environmental indicators such as climate change, air quality and land use, and also with social indicators.  

3.         METHODOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION  

(a)                Underlying Definitions and Concepts:  Gross inland consumption of energy is a key aggregate in the energy balances.  Consumption of energy refers to “apparent” consumption and is derived from the formula that takes into account production, exports, imports and stock changes.  Production refers to the first stage of production. International trade of energy commodities is based on the “general trade” system, that is, all goods entering and leaving the national boundary of a country are recorded as export and imports.  Bunkers refer to fuels supplied to ships engaged in international transport, irrespective of the carriers’ flag. In general, data on stocks refer to changes in stocks of producers, importers and/or industrial consumers at the beginning and the end of the year.  

(b)               Measurement Methods: The indicator is calculated as the ratio of total energy requirement and mid-year population. Total energy requirement (gross inland consumption) is calculated from the following formula: Primary production + Imports – Exports – Bunkers +/- Stock changes = Total energy requirement.  

(c)                Limitations of the Indicator:  Apparent consumption may in some cases represent only an indication of the magnitude of actual gross inland availability.  The actual value of the indicator is strongly influenced by a multitude of economic, social and geographical factors.  When using it as an indicator of sustainability the indicator has to be interpreted in connection with other indicators of economic development and energy use, as smaller or larger values of the indicator do not necessarily indicate more or less sustainable development.             

(d)               Status of the Methodology: The indicator is in widespread use, but without a standardized methodology.  International recommendations are available.  

(e)                Alternative Definitions/Indicators:  None.  

4.         ASSESSMENT OF DATA  

(a)                Data Needed to Compile the Indicator:  Energy commodity data for production and consumption (energy balances) and mid-year population estimates.  

(b)               National and International Data Availability and Sources:  Energy commodity data for production and consumption, and population data are regularly available for most countries at the national level; and for some countries, at the sub-national level.  Both types of data are compiled by and available from national statistical offices and country publications.  

5.         AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDICATOR  

(a)                Lead Agency: The lead agency is the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).  The contact point is the Director, Statistics Division, DESA; fax no. (1 212) 963 9851.  

(b)               Other Contributing Organizations: Other organizations involved in the indicator development include the International Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD/IEA), and  Eurostat.  

(c)                Data References:  United Nations: Energy Statistics Yearbook. United Nations: Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles.  

6.         REFERENCES  

(a)                Readings:  

Concepts and Methods in Energy Statistics, with Special Reference to Energy Accounts and Balances. United Nations, 1982.  

Energy Statistics:  Definitions, Units of Measure and Conversion Factors. United Nations, 1987.  

Energy Statistics:  A Manual for Developing Countries. United Nations, 1991.  

(b)               Internet site:  United Nations Statistics Division: http://www.un.org/Depts/unsd