Wood as a Biofuel in Romania: A Socio-Economic Perspective on Discrepant Reported Numbers

Abstract

Nearly 50% of Romanian households use wood as a source of heating. A series of contradicting official reports regarding the demand and supply of firewood in Romania indicates that the consumed volume is higher than the available quantity. This study aims to characterize the dynamics of the firewood market and shed light on the officially reported figures. We analyzed certain variables and their influence on firewood demand for six consecutive years. The demand was significantly higher than the supply and was strongly correlated with the unemployment rate. This socio-economic facet leads us to believe that abruptly diminishing fuelwood consumption is an unrealistic policy objective of the authorities.