Energy-Environmental Efficiency in South America: A Comparative Analysis with DEA under Different Returns to Scale
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29327/2565368.3.1-9Keywords:
Environmental Energy Efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Sustainability in South AmericaAbstract
Given the challenges posed by climate change and the energy transition, assessing the efficiency in the use of environmental and energy resources has become essential to support sustainable public policies. This study analyzes the energy-environmental efficiency of 11 South American countries, considering inputs such as energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and particulate matter (PM2.5), and outputs such as life expectancy and participation of renewable sources. The methodology adopted was Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), in the CRS (constant returns to scale) and VRS (variable returns to scale) models, with input orientation. A computational tool was also developed in Python, with the PuLP library, to automate the calculations and facilitate replication. The 2023 data were obtained from the Our World in Data database. Preliminary results indicate that Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay presented high efficiency in both models, while Venezuela and Chile obtained lower performance. The comparison between the CRS and VRS models highlights the importance of considering the effects of scale to correctly assess efficiency, revealing that part of the inefficiency is related to structural limitations. The findings reinforce the usefulness of DEA as a decision-making tool in sustainability, as well as its potential to guide more equitable and effective energy strategies in South America.
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