<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Subject and purpose of work</h3>
<p>The European Union’s energy policy focuses mainly on three areas: reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector by increasing the use of RES, reducing emissions of harmful pollutants, and increasing the efficiency of the electricity used.</p>
<p>Sustainable energy use, on the other hand, is clearly associated with an increased use of renewable energy sources, which ensures energy security, as well as diversification of energy supplies that sustain and improve the quality of the environment.</p>
<p>The purpose of the paper is to present the diversity of the countries of the European Union in terms of the actions they take in the field of energy and climate policy resulting from the European Union directives.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Materials and methods</h3>
<p>Based on the goals of energy policy presented in the EU directives a number of indicators were selected in order to describe the actions taken by EU member states. After a substantive and statistical verification, 6 variables were left. The use of the Ward’s method made it possible to create groups of countries that are similar in terms of their energy and climate policies.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>The most favorable situation in terms of the effects of the climate and energy policy can be observed in the current leaders, that is in Sweden and Finland as well as in Estonia. Central European countries, mainly Poland, have high-emission economies, accompanied by low investment in modern environmentally friendly technologies. This is manifested, among others, in high concentrations of particulate matter, which contributes to poor air quality, categories in which Poland has some of the worst results in the entire EU.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Subject and purpose of work
The European Union’s energy policy focuses mainly on three areas: reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector by increasing the use of RES, reducing emissions of harmful pollutants, and increasing the efficiency of the electricity used.
Sustainable energy use, on the other hand, is clearly associated with an increased use of renewable energy sources, which ensures energy security, as well as diversification of energy supplies that sustain and improve the quality of the environment.
The purpose of the paper is to present the diversity of the countries of the European Union in terms of the actions they take in the field of energy and climate policy resulting from the European Union directives.

Materials and methods
Based on the goals of energy policy presented in the EU directives a number of indicators were selected in order to describe the actions taken by EU member states. After a substantive and statistical verification, 6 variables were left. The use of the Ward’s method made it possible to create groups of countries that are similar in terms of their energy and climate policies.

Conclusions
The most favorable situation in terms of the effects of the climate and energy policy can be observed in the current leaders, that is in Sweden and Finland as well as in Estonia. Central European countries, mainly Poland, have high-emission economies, accompanied by low investment in modern environmentally friendly technologies. This is manifested, among others, in high concentrations of particulate matter, which contributes to poor air quality, categories in which Poland has some of the worst results in the entire EU.

The Use of the Hierarchical Method to Group the Countries of the European Union According to their Energy and Climate Policies Adopted on the Basis of Directives of the European Parliament

Department of Statistics and Social Policy

Hugon Kołłątaj University of Agriculture in Kraków

Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Subject and purpose of work
The European Union’s energy policy focuses mainly on three areas: reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector by...

The Use of the Hierarchical Method to Group the Countries of the European Union According to their Energy and Climate Policies Adopted on the Basis of Directives of the European Parliament

Published Online: Mar 31, 2023

Page range: 18 - 33

Received: Nov 01, 2022

Accepted: Nov 01, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ers-2023-0002

Keywords
EU energy policy, EU countries, energy transition

© 2023 Monika Zioło et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Use of the Hierarchical Method to Group the Countries of the European Union According to their Energy and Climate Policies Adopted on the Basis of Directives of the European Parliament

Published Online: Mar 31, 2023

Page range: 18 - 33

Received: Nov 01, 2022

Accepted: Nov 01, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ers-2023-0002

KeywordsEU energy policy, EU countries, energy transition

© 2023 Monika Zioło et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
EU energy policy, EU countries, energy transition