Combining the projections on population development, GDP growth and energy intensity results in future development pathways for Europe’s energy demand. These are shown in Figure 4.4 for both the Reference and the Energy Revolution Scenarios. Under the Reference Scenario, total energy demand increase by more than 20% the current 77,260 PJ/a to 94,600 PJ/a in 2050. In the Energy Revolution Scenario, the energy demand decreases by 35% compared to current consumption and is expected by 2050 to reaching 49,749 PJ/a.

The accelerated increase of energy efficiency, which is a crucial prerequisite for achieving a sufficiently large share of renewable energy sources for our energy supply, is beneficial not only for the environment, but also from an economic point of view. Taking into account the full service life, in most cases the implementation of energy efficiency measures saves costs compared to the additional energy supply. The mobilisation of cost-effective energy saving potentials leads directly to the reduction of costs. A dedicated energy efficiency strategy thus also helps to compensate in part for the additional costs required during the market introduction phase of renewable energy sources.