Showing papers on "Rebound effect (conservation) published in 2006"

The relevance of information and communication technologies for environmental sustainability - A prospective simulation study

Abstract: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have relevant positive and negative impacts on environmental sustainability on various levels: First-order effects such as increasing electronic waste streams; second-order effects such as improved energy-efficiency of production; third-order effects such as a product-to-service shift in consumption or rebound effects in transport. In the simulation study described in this article, all known relevant effects on all three levels were modeled using a System Dynamics approach in combination with scenario techniques and expert consultations. The prospective study for the European Union with a time-horizon until 2020 revealed great potential for ICT-supported energy management and for a structural change towards a less material-intensive economy, but strong rebound effects in the transport sector whenever ICT applications lead to time or cost savings for transport. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Macroeconomic Rebound Effect and the UK Economy: Final Report to The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Abstract: The study examines the macroeconomic rebound effect for the UK economy, arising from UK energy efficiency policies and programmes for 2000-2010 The work explores the relationships between energy efficiency, energy consumption, economic growth and policy interventions using a well-established and highly detailed macroeconomic model of the UK economy The work has been carried out in response to a call from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), with the support of Defra’s energy-efficiency policy team As the focus of this study is to assess the magnitude of the macroeconomic rebound effect, the projections given in the report should not be taken as forecasts of future UK economic or environmental performance, eg the projections given here differ from those in the 2006 Climate Change Programme

The Macroeconomic Rebound Effect and the UK Economy

Abstract: The study examines the macroeconomic rebound effect for the UK economy, arising from UK energy efficiency policies and programmes for 2000-2010. The work explores the relationships between energy efficiency, energy consumption, economic growth and policy interventions using a well-established and highly detailed macroeconomic model of the UK economy. The work has been carried out in response to a call from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), with the support of Defra’s energy-efficiency policy team. As the focus of this study is to assess the magnitude of the macroeconomic rebound effect, the projections given in the report should not be taken as forecasts of future UK economic or environmental performance, e.g. the projections given here differ from those in the 2006 Climate Change Programme.

Fuel Efficiency and Motor Vehicle Travel: The Declining Rebound Effect

Abstract: We estimate the rebound effect for motor vehicles, by which improved fuel efficiency causes additional travel, using a pooled cross section of US states for 1966-2001. Our model accounts for endogenous changes in fuel efficiency, distinguishes between autocorrelation and lagged effects, includes a measure of the stringency of fuel-economy standards, and allows the rebound effect to vary with income, urbanization, and the fuel cost of driving. At sample averages of variables, our simultaneous-equations estimates of the short- and long-run rebound effect are 4.5% and 22.2%. But rising real income caused it to diminish substantially over the period, aided by falling fuel prices. With variables at 1997-2001 levels, our estimates are only 2.2% and 10.7%, considerably smaller than values typically assumed for policy analysis. With income at the 1997 – 2001 level and fuel prices at the sample average, the estimates are 3.1% and 15.3%, respectively.

Are standards Effective in Improving Automobile Fuel Economy

Abstract: There is an intense debate over whether fuel economy standards or fuel taxation is the more appropriate policy instrument to raise fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions of cars. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of standards and fuel prices in new car fuel economy with the aid of cross-section time series analysis of data from 18 countries. We employ a dynamic specification of new car fuel consumption as a function of fuel prices, standards and per capita income. Results are used to address policy questions that are currently in the center of discussions worldwide: to what extent the implementation of fuel economy standards has yielded fuel savings; how much fuel prices should rise in order to increase fuel economy without tightening standards; and whether autonomous fuel economy improvements should be expected in the absence of regulations or fiscal policy instruments.

Directed Technical Change and Climate Policy

Abstract: This paper studies the cost effectiveness of climate policy if there are technology externalities. For this purpose, we develop a forward-looking CGE model that captures empirical links between CO2 emissions associated with energy use, directed technical change and the economy. We find the cost-effective climate policy to include a combination of R&D subsidies and CO2 emission constraints, although R&D subsidies raise the shadow value of the CO2 constraint (i.e. CO2 price) because of a strong rebound effect from stimulating innovation. Furthermore, we find that CO2 constraints differentiated toward CO2-intensive sectors are more cost effective than constraints that generate uniform CO2 prices among sectors. Differentiated CO2 prices, through technical change and concomitant technology externalities, encourage growth in the non-CO2 intensive sectors and discourage growth in CO2-intensive sectors. Thus, it is cost effective to let the latter bear relatively more of the abatement burden. This result is robust to whether emission constraints, R&D subsidies or combinations of both are used to reduce CO2 emissions.

Quantifying the Rebound Effects of Energy Efficiency and Energy Conserving Behaviour in Sweden

Abstract: Doubts have recurrently been raised on the extent to which energy efficiency can reduce the demand for energy since efficiency improvements may “rebound” due to decreasing prices of energy services (the price effect) as well as by increasing the budget for consumption of other goods and services (the income effect). The magnitude of such effects is crucial to whether energy efficiency should be a strategy for environmental policy or not. This paper aims to derive a general expression of the rebound effects of household consumption in a parameterized form where available data can be tested. The paper analyzes how different parameter assumptions affect the quantification of rebound effects and what may be reasonable ranges. Income effects are quantified using data from the Swedish Household Budget Survey of different goods and services split on income classes. The changes in consumption with increasing income are used to establish the composition of marginal consumption. Combined with energy intensities derived from input-output analysis, this gives a model of how money saved on energy use in one sector may lead to increased energy use in other sectors. The total rebound effects of energy efficiency appear to be in the range 5-15% in most cases, but these results are fairly sensitive to assumptions of energy service price elasticities. Cases with low or negative investment costs for energy efficiency may also result in much higher rebound effects as the income effects become more important. Energy conserving behaviour (reduced energy service demand) affecting direct energy use such as heating and transport fuels gives rise to rebound effects in the order of 10-20%, depending on the price per primary energy for different fuels and energy carriers.

Density effect and increase effect of variation of discharge amount of industrial wastewater

Abstract: Based on sustainable development theory,with the study on the dematerialization rebound effect,formula that calculating density effect and increase effect of the variation of discharge amount of industrial wastewater was given,and the quantitative analysis on the said two effects was also made based on the data which were announced in the China Statistics Yearbooks from 1991-2004.The results demonstrated that the density effect was more obvious than the increase effect before the year 1997,the trend of industrial wastewater discharge amount of our country was descended;on the contrary,it was increasing after the year 1997,especially in recent three years,because the increase effect was more obvious than the density effect.