Energy efficiency and economy-wide rebound effects: A review of the evidence and its implications

Brockway, Paul E.; Sorrell, Steve; Semieniuk, Gregor; Heun, Matthew Kuperus; Court, Victor

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2021.110781

Cited by 202 publications

(130 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…5) shows higher longer-term energy-GDP decoupling than historically experienced as per Fig. 5, as has also been found by others 8,24,27 . For the same level of renewable energy increase, the medium-energy-demand group shows lower NETs deployment than the high energy-demand group (e.g., 'IPCC': 144 GtCO 2 vs. 'Utopian': 222 GtCO 2 ).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

“…None of the 222 scenarios in the IPCC SR1.5 and none of the shared socioeconomic pathways projects a declining GDP trajectory 2,4 , as is examined by the expanding degrowth literature 9 . Interestingly, empirical evidence [5][6][7][8]14 corroborates the degrowth hypothesis 9 that there is a stronger than commonly recognised relationship between the growth in GDP and energy, material and fossil fuel use. Consequently, measures to drastically reduce the latter would also reduce GDP growth [5][6][7]9,14,15 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 69%

“…For the scenarios in the other two groups, GDP growth rates are assumed to equal the rates of the comparable IPCC SR1.5 archetypes linked above in Table 1. Here, we take GDP growth rates in purchasing power parity (PPP, 2010 US$) from the IAMC 1.5°C Scenario Explorer hosted by IIASA and transform them, following Brockway et al 8 , into MER growth rates using a conversion factor of 0.78, in order to match our historical GDP growth rates in MER. Dec decoupling, RE renewable energy, CCS carbon capture and storage applied to coal and gas, SSP shared socioeconomic pathway, DLE: decent living energy.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, Hickel 18 calls this scenario a degrowth scenario, owing to the likelihood that such energy-GDP decoupling is impossible. There are several reasons to justify this likelihood, as recently summarised by a number of studies 5,8,14,15,[27][28][29] , which are not considered by the IPCC IAMs 8,27 . Firstly, Ayres & Warr 30 , Keen et al 28 and others 7,14,27 show that 'total factor productivity' (other production factors influencing economic growth besides capital and labour) is strongly connected to total energy use and its conversion efficiency into useful energy (energy use after accounting for production and conversion losses), contrary to neoclassical economic theory.…”

Section: Scenario Assessment: Interpretation Of Relative Risk Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Simultaneously, all of them assume continued growth in gross domestic product (GDP), among other reasons because this is deemed necessary to support societal wellbeing 4 . However, continued GDP growth is widely associated with increasing mitigation challenges, e.g., with increasing energy and material consumption [5][6][7][8] . In contrast, alternative mitigation pathways as examined by the expanding degrowth literature 9 , are almost completely neglected by the IAM community and the IPCC 2,4 .…”

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confidence: 99%

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1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways

2021

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Abstract1.5 °C scenarios reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) rely on combinations of controversial negative emissions and unprecedented technological change, while assuming continued growth in gross domestic product (GDP). Thus far, the integrated assessment modelling community and the IPCC have neglected to consider degrowth scenarios, where economic output declines due to stringent climate mitigation. Hence, their potential to avoid reliance on negative emissions and speculative rates of technological change remains unexplored. As a first step to address this gap, this paper compares 1.5 °C degrowth scenarios with IPCC archetype scenarios, using a simplified quantitative representation of the fuel-energy-emissions nexus. Here we find that the degrowth scenarios minimize many key risks for feasibility and sustainability compared to technology-driven pathways, such as the reliance on high energy-GDP decoupling, large-scale carbon dioxide removal and large-scale and high-speed renewable energy transformation. However, substantial challenges remain regarding political feasibility. Nevertheless, degrowth pathways should be thoroughly considered.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

mentioning

confidence: 69%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Scenario Assessment: Interpretation Of Relative Risk Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways

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Review and outlook of global energy use under the impact of COVID‐19

Zhang

Rong

Ahmad

et al. 2022

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By collecting and sorting the energy demand data of developing and developed countries, this paper makes a comprehensive analysis of their energy demand, including the change of energy demand and the change trend of energy load in various sectors. The survey scope of the article includes the overall change trend of energy supply, natural gas, oil, electricity, coal, renewable energy (such as wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, etc.), and the data change of global carbon dioxide emission. Besides, this paper selects a variety of energy sources for comprehensive analysis to analyze the existing change trend in chronological order. The analysis methods include data statistics of primary energy production and consumption, energy intensity analysis of gross domestic product (GDP), production, and demand balance of oil, natural gas, and coal, and study the trade balance between different types of energy in different countries and regions. The regions examined in this review include the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD); the group of seven (G7); Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICs); the European Union; Europe; North America; the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); Asia; Latin America; the Pacific Ocean; the Middle East and Africa. By studying these data, we can make a better summary of the current energy use, so as to conveniently grasp the context of energy development and have a general understanding of the current energy structure. Therefore, individuals and policymakers in the fields of energy trade can think more deeply about the future situation and draw conclusions.

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Rethinking the sustainable development goals: Learning with and from community‐led initiatives

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Sustainable Development

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This paper explores the actual and potential contributions of community-led initiatives (CLIs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As examples of selfdetermined practical action for sustainability and social justice, CLIs prefigure many of the intended outcomes of the SDGs. Existing evidence shows that CLIs are already contributing, at local scale, to almost all of the SDGs, and achieving particular success in bringing different goals into synergy. However, these achievements are based on ethics, guiding philosophies, issue framings, practical goals and ways of organising that differ significantly from those behind the formulation and delivery of the SDGs.Embracing those differences, and with them greater plurality and ongoing critical self-reflection, would allow the SDGs to transcend certain self-limiting contradictions, particularly concerning the role of economic growth. Such a shift in orientation is essential if the SDGs are to move from reinforcing to challenging the root causes of unsustainability and injustice.

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Energy efficiency and economy-wide rebound effects: A review of the evidence and its implications

Cited by 202 publications

References 80 publications

1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways

1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways

Review and outlook of global energy use under the impact of COVID‐19

Rethinking the sustainable development goals: Learning with and from community‐led initiatives

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