Research – analysis: prof. Giannis Maniatis
With the assistance of PhD students: I. Voulgari, A. Manolis, M. Hatzigeorgiadis

Thirty fossil fuel companies account for almost 50% of the methane emitted by the planet’s energy sector. The 12 biggest polluters are state-owned oil companies that are owned by authoritarian regimes and are (apparently) not accountable to any general meeting of shareholders, any court, or any civil society. On the 13th and 15th places pollutants ExxonMobil and BP. In total, the top 20 fossil fuel companies emit more than 3,500 million tons of CO2 equivalent.

Underground warehouses in the EU are overcrowded.

Almost all underground natural gas storage facilities in the European Union are full (more than 90% estimated). Warehouses will make a significant contribution to winter 2022-23 preparations. Unfortunately, our country is the only country that does not have an underground warehouse, although since 2013 we have studied and included a warehouse in the southern part of Kavala for funding in PCI programs funded by European countries, but so far there has been no development.

Expensive energy in the south is more lethal

According to energy price-mortality correlation models, higher energy prices lead to higher mortality, mainly in countries with hot climates, because colder countries have better heating and thermal insulation. With a European average of 0.35 €/kWh and extreme prices in Italy and the UK of 0.7 and 0.4 €/kWh, natural gas and electricity are up 144% and 78% respectively compared to the previous 20 years.

Tragic aging in Europe

On November 15, 2022, the world population reached 8 billion people, and in 2100 it will exceed 10 billion. China (1.41 billion), India (1.39 billion), USA (333 million) are the most populous countries. Of every 1,000 children born, 511 are in Asia, 326 in Africa, 106 in the Americas, and only 52 in Europe. The demographic aging of Europe is tragic, and its consequences are incalculable…

Natural gas demand by sector

At 30% in each sector, electricity and industry rely on the use of natural gas for their work. Nearly 25% of homes in the European Union are heated by natural gas. Many industries are either cutting production or switching to cheaper coal to cope with energy accuracy.

Bulgaria, the poorest in terms of energy

At European Union level, 7% of the total population could not properly heat their home in 2021. The highest energy poverty rates are in Bulgaria (23.7%), Lithuania (22.5%), Cyprus (19.4%) and Greece. (17.5%). The lowest rates on the European continent were recorded in Switzerland (0.2%) and Norway (0.8%).