Introduction: A Pragmatic Perspective on the Opportunities and Limits of Investing in Resource Efficiency

Abstract

In the coming years, technological shifts (e.g. to electric cars, or renewable energy) and the delivery of the SDGs are bound to increase the demand for certain material resources. However, despite the evidence for the advantages of resource efficiency, the improvements have been falling short of expectations, and the benefits have been lower than expected. A central reason for this shortcoming is that the challenges of implementation have been underestimated, as firms and consumers were frequently unable or unwilling to invest in resource efficiency measures. This raises the question of what has been missing in resource efficiency efforts in order to streamline and upscale investments to make our economies more resource efficient. This book explores the decisive factors to enable the resource transition, i.e. the move towards greater resource efficiency and circularity, and examines how the potential of resource efficiency investments can be unlocked.