Spatial Differentiation of Environmental Responsibility among European Union Countries: Empirical Insights from the Hellwig Method

Abstract

The European Union has been working hard to protect the environment for many years, aiming for climate neutrality and sustainable development. In the face of global climate change, ecosystem degradation, and pollution, the EU is setting ambitious targets within the framework of the European Green Deal.

This article aims to examine the spatial differences between EU countries in their efforts to ensure environmental security and sustainability.

Individual Member States, pursuing their own environmental protection strategies tailored to local conditions and challenges, are investing at different levels in environmental protection, greenhouse gas reduction, or renewable energy use. Therefore, the research hypothesis is that there is a significant spatial differentiation among the countries of the European Union in terms of the level of environmental activities undertaken.

The article analyses statistical data from the Eurostat database and uses the Hellwig method to construct a synthetic measure of development on the basis of four selected diagnostic variables in the field of environmental activities. The results of the study made it possible to systematise and group countries according to the intensity and effectiveness of the activities in the data analysed.

The countries that achieved the highest scores on the synthetic indicator—indicating the strongest commitment to sustainable environmental policy as well as the most effective efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adopt green technologies—were Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Finland, and Latvia. Conversely, the group of countries where the activities in the discussed area are far from sufficient included: Luxembourg, Ireland, Greece, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, and Cyprus. The statistical analysis also showed a relationship between renewable energy use and a country’s gross domestic product. This finding is not surprising, as rising GDP is generally linked to a higher proportion of renewable energy in total final energy consumption, though some fluctuations may occur due to the unstable global context.

Keywords: environmental responsibility, European Union countries, Hellwig method, sustainable development