Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development: Guidelines and Methodologies International Atomic Energy Agency United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs International Energy Agency Eurostat European Environment Agency

(d) International Targets/Recommended Standards: Although there are no specific 
international targets regarding energy intensities or energy efficiency, many 
industrialized countries have targets for reducing energy use and carbon emissions 
and other pollutants from industrial and manufacturing branches. 
(e) Linkages to Other Indicators: This indicator is part of a set of energy intensity 
indicators in different sectors (transport, agriculture, service/commercial and 
residential), all linked to the aggregate energy use per unit of gross domestic product 
(GDP) indicator. These indicators are also linked to indicators of final and primary 
energy use, electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutant emissions and 
depletion of energy resources. 

---

53 
METHODOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION 
(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts: Energy use per unit of value added is one 
way of measuring energy requirements relative to manufacturing production. 
While energy use per unit of physical output is a better indicator of energy efficiency 
in specific manufacturing processes, energy use per unit of economic output is more 
useful both for relating energy efficiency to economic activity and for aggregating and 
comparing energy efficiency across manufacturing sectors or across the entire 
economy. 
Energy-intensive industries that may be considered include iron and steel, non-ferrous 
metals, chemicals, petroleum refining, non-metallic minerals, cement, and paper and 
pulp. 
Changes in intensities are affected by factors other than energy efficiency; therefore, 
analysing intensity trends provides important insights into how energy efficiency and 
other factors affect energy use. Annex 3 includes a decomposition method for energy 
intensities.