If economic growth and prosperity continue to depend strongly on the consumption of natural resources, it will not be possible to limit the increasing conflict-laden demand for resources. The rebound effects are growing mercilessly, most efficiency gains are leading to fewer resource savings than expected.
How high are these rebound effects really? How are they measured and how can they be kept in check? After 30 years of research on rebound, there are still major scientific differences and a great need for further research.
This has also been recognized by the German Bundestags's Study Commission on Growth, Wellbeing and Quality of Life, which commissioned an expert opinion from our author Reinhard Madlener. In this issue of factory, he introduces the various categories and facets of rebound.
Tilman Santarius and Wolfgang Sachs are two additional experts on the rebound phenomenon. They argue for a sufficiency revolution prior to the efficiency revolution. Then there is Bernd Draser who looks at the tragedy of efficiency efforts, and Andreas Exner addresses the constraints of the prevailing system. Ralph Hintemann outlines how the rebound effects have developed during the digital revolution, and the working group of Folkwang University argues for a smart upgrade of things in order to raise awareness for resources. In an interview, Peter Hennicke, the former President of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, who recently received the German Environmental Award, and the physicist and political scientist Stefan Thomas call for a realistic consideration of the rebound effect – as well as its limitation by sufficiency policies and by setting upper limits on consumption. Only with the help of such measures – and this is the key finding of this issue of factory – can we prevent rebound effects from delaying the most important effect of resource efficiency measures in the long run: the reduction of the global resource consumption.
We hope this factory issue provides you with many insights into rebound.
Ralf Bindel and the factory team
Translated from the German by: Miriam Eckers, Cornelia Enger and Bianca Gerards
The topic Rebound we do not only present <link en topics rebound.html>online but in our magazine Rebound. It ist finely illustrated and very well readable on tablets and screens, and it contains all articles and pictures as well as numbers and citations – and it is free to download.