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Enough? The role of sufficiency in European energy and climate plans

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  • Zell-Ziegler, Carina
  • Thema, Johannes
  • Best, Benjamin
  • Wiese, Frauke
  • Lage, Jonas
  • Schmidt, Annika
  • Toulouse, Edouard
  • Stagl, Sigrid

Abstract

Energy sufficiency is one of the three energy sustainability strategies, next to energy efficiency and renewable energies. We analyse to what extent European governments follow this strategy, by conducting a systematic document analysis of all available European National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and Long-Term Strategies (LTSs). We collect and categorise a total of 230 sufficiency-related policy measures, finding large differences between countries. We find most sufficiency policies in the transport sector, when classifying also modal shift policies to change the service quality of transport as sufficiency policies. Types of sufficiency policy instruments vary considerably from sector to sector, for instance the focus on financial incentives and fiscal instruments in the mobility sector, information in the building sector, and financial incentive/tax instruments in cross-sectoral application. Regulatory instruments currently play a minor role for sufficiency policy in the national energy and climate plans of EU member states. Similar to energy efficiency in recent decades, sufficiency still largely referred to as micro-level individual behaviour change or necessary exogenous trends that will need to take place. It is not treated yet as a genuine field of policy action to provide the necessary framework for enabling societal change.

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  • Zell-Ziegler, Carina & Thema, Johannes & Best, Benjamin & Wiese, Frauke & Lage, Jonas & Schmidt, Annika & Toulouse, Edouard & Stagl, Sigrid, 2021. "Enough? The role of sufficiency in European energy and climate plans," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:157:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521003530
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112483
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Viktorija Bobinaite & Inga Konstantinaviciute & Arvydas Galinis & Mária Bartek-Lesi & Viktor Rácz & Bettina Dézsi, 2022. "Energy Sufficiency in the Household Sector of Lithuania and Hungary: The Case of Heated Floor Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Grzegorz Ślusarz & Dariusz Twaróg & Barbara Gołębiewska & Marek Cierpiał-Wolan & Jarosław Gołębiewski & Philipp Plutecki, 2023. "The Role of Biogas Potential in Building the Energy Independence of the Three Seas Initiative Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Vaclovas Miskinis & Arvydas Galinis & Viktorija Bobinaite & Inga Konstantinaviciute & Eimantas Neniskis, 2023. "Impact of Key Drivers on Energy Intensity and GHG Emissions in Manufacturing in the Baltic States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, February.
    6. Marta Skiba & Maria Mrówczyńska & Małgorzata Sztubecka & Alicja Maciejko & Natalia Rzeszowska, 2023. "The European Union’s Energy Policy Efforts Regarding Emission Reduction in Cities—A Method Proposal," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-26, August.
    7. João Flores & Miguel Cavique & Júlia Seixas, 2022. "Energy Sustainability—Rebounds Revisited Using Axiomatic Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.
    8. Tutak, Magdalena & Brodny, Jarosław, 2022. "Analysis of the level of energy security in the three seas initiative countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    9. Campos, José & Csontos, Csaba & Munkácsy, Béla, 2023. "Electricity scenarios for Hungary: Possible role of wind and solar resources in the energy transition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PB).

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