Roadmap to rebound: how to address rebound effects from resource efficiency policy

The increasing global demand for resources has been met with a new wave of resource efficiency policies worldwide. Such policies are however vulnerable to rebound effects when increased resource efficiency leads to additional resource use via behavioural and systemic responses. Yet the implications of policy-induced rebounds are mostly unknown since most studies have focused on costless and exogenous efficiency improvements that are not linked to any specific policy intervention. After reviewing the literature, we provide guidance for the study of policy-induced rebounds. With regards to scope and method design, we highlight the untapped potential of life cycle assessment and macro-economic modelling to uncover, respectively, trade-offs between life cycle stages and environmental pressures as well as economic consequences beyond supply chain effects. We also find striking asymmetries in research efforts, leaving knowledge gaps for key resource efficiency strategies targeting, among other, materials, water, land, biodiversity, and waste. Lastly, rebound effects generally focus on a single resource, usually energy use, and much is ignored about their implications in the context of resource interlinkages. A better understanding of such cross-resource rebounds is key to design and assess the effectiveness of emerging policy paradigms such as the resource nexus and the sustainable development goals.

VIVANCO David;  SALA Serenella;  MCDOWALL Will; 

2018-06-29

MDPI AG

JRC111704

2071-1050,   

http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/6/2009,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC111704,   

10.3390/su10062009,