ISHS Acta Horticulturae 536: XIVth International Symposium on Horticultural Economics
POLICIES TO REDUCE ENERGY USE AND EMISSIONS IN BELGIAN GLASSHOUSE HORTICULTURE |
| Authors: | K. Carels, D. Van Lierde |
| Keywords: | levies, energy saving |
| Abstract:
Belgian glasshouse horticulture is an important consumer of energy; this is not only important in the economical field but also for the emission of pollutants. The total emissions depend on the intensity of heating, the kind of fuel and the total area of glasshouses. In this paper different strategies to reduce energy use and emission of CO2 and SO2 are examined. One of the possibilities is a price policy for fuels, for example by introducing a tax on fuels. For this purpose a model that determines the interrelationship between price and intensity of heating and an extrapolation model that calculates the energy use for the whole glasshouse sector were used. It was found that in order to obtain a small reduction in energy consumption an important rise in price (or taxation) is required. At the price level of 1998 a price rise of 64 % results in a decrease of only 10 % in energy use per square metre. Another possibility to reduce the emissions could be an encouragement of the use of more environment-friendly fuels. A total switch over to natural gas would result in a decrease by 30 % of the CO2 emission, and even more for the emission of SO2. The higher price of natural gas, however, is a serious obstacle for change. As a conclusion it can be stated that the introduction of an extra tax on fuels would only have a small effect on energy consumption. It would be more appropriate if energy saving investments would be encouraged and if the use of more ecological fuels, such as natural gas, would be stimulated by an efficient price and investment policy. | |
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