ECO-EFFICIENCY: TRENDS, GOALS AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN LITHUANIA

Paper aims to explore the progress in eco-efficiency and the course of decoupling of environmental impact from economy growth in Lithuania during 1990-2008. For better interpretation of ongoing changes in eco-efficiency the concept of double decoupling was applied. Decoupling of resource consumption from economy growth is considered as primary decoupling, and decoupling of environmental pollution from resource consumption is considered as secondary decoupling. Energy intensity is treated as indicator of primary decoupling and pollution intensity as indicator of secondary decoupling. Over investigated period an essential primary decoupling took place and final energy intensity was reduced approximately 2.5 times in Lithuania and has converged to the level of EU-15 on average. Transition to the market economy, shift to the modern technologies, increased energy prices and structural changes of Lithuanian economy are considered as the main drivers for this achievement. Progress in secondary decoupling was not so pronounced and pollution intensity is still 2 times higher than in EU-15. Though energy and transport sectors are identified as the main "hot spots" to tackle relatively high pollution intensity, focus on tools and measures benefiting reduction of both energy and pollution intensity are discussed.