The use of renewable energy sources and their influence on the natural environment in selected European states

Purpose: The aim of the article is to evaluate and characterize the use of renewable energy sources and their impact on the environment in selected European countries. Design/methodology/approach: relying on renewable energy sources is one of the fundamental goals of the European Union, which is constantly striving to improve the quality of life of societies, and to secure the welfare of present and future generations. The authors performed an analysis of energy consumption in 2010-2020 based on statistical data obtained from the European Statistical Office “EUROSTAT”. Numerous statistical analyzes, including data composition and decomposition, have been carried out. The authors relied on the analysis of change dynamics technique. The article presents indexes with a variable base (chain) and relative increments with a constant base. Findings: It has been established that the use of renewable energy in the following analyzed sectors such as electricity, transport, heating and cooling is diversified, with the highest use being noted in the field of heating and cooling. The most developed country in Europe in terms of the use of renewable energy sources is Iceland, followed by Norway and Sweden. The countries with the lowest use of renewable energy are Malta, the Netherlands and Luxembourg although these countries are exhibiting a growing tendency towards using renewable energy sources. Originality/value: The article presents the results of data composition regarding the use of renewable energy and its impact on the natural environment. Due to the analyzes used, it may be regarded as an interesting overview of the use of renewable energy sources.