Transport policy and programme evaluation: Energy efficiency in transportation sector for France from 1973 to 1991

Panel: Panel 5. Transport

Author:
Didier Bosseboeuf, Ademe, France

Abstract

In 1991, transportation energy consumption in France accounts for 70 % of total oil demand. Its contribution to the greenhouse effect is around 25 %. The transportation sector is the key sector to control the energy demand and environment changes. Since 1973, France has sep-up a vast energy conservation programme covering a large set of actions and tools from regulation, R & D, incentives training and sensibilisation.. . towards all the users. In order to assess the overall impact of such energy policy, we have used the Ötechnico-economicË approach that explains variations in energy demand through a combination of economic, socio-economic and technical factors. This approach allows for considerable disaggregation according to homogeneous consumer Ömodulesn. Results show that between 1973 and 1991, the trend in the transport sector (+ 13,5 Mtoe) can be explained by an activity effect accounting for + 19,5 Mtoe, and a unit consumption effect of - 6 Mtoe, of which -11,3 Mtoe due to technological improvments in vehicles. Analysis of the record of annual incremental energy savings yields two important genera1 conclusions :

High and very volatile short-term price sensitivity to variation in vehicle fuel prices.
A general trend towards technology-led energy saving clearly apparent in periods of price stability or erosion.

From the analysis, it prevails that technological improvements have been partly offset by the worsening of user behaviour, particularly visible after the counter-oil shock. Market forces seem not sufficient themselves to control the energy demand evolution. Action towards user behaviour must reunforced. Thus, Ademe is launching an energy conservation and environmental programme where support to transport demand control become primordial.