An Agenda for Energy and Material Efficiency Policy: An element of technology policy for a more sustainable use of natural resources

Abstract

Discussions about the future options of the energy systems of industrialised countries are held almost exclusively in terms of alternative resources of energy supply and related technologies. This paper tries to broaden the view of the technological options by focusing on the technical and theoretical potentials of a more efficient use of energy and materials. Such options are generally overlooked since a more efficient use of energy resources tends to be assessed by its economic potential. This analysis starts from the basic human needs of an industrialised country which lead to the material and energy services that influence energy-related drivers. The analysis of the energy system's losses, from useful energy to final and primary energy and the analysis of a more efficient use of materials hint at huge technical and theoretical potentials for more efficient use of energy. This new agenda of the technology-based research of resource efficiency is labelled as the vision of the 2000 Watt per capita society. It may not only influence energy and material research and policy agendas, but also transform the present rather narrow-minded understanding of energy policy into a resource efficiency concept as part of an innovation policy oriented towards sustainable development. From this perspective, suggestions are made to extend the R&D energy and material policy agendas.