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is an indication for the growing importance of resources
in the area of research. At the same time it suggests, that
the issue has not been established yet but will arrive in the
economy in about 10 to 15 years.
In general, industry is seen as “realizer” in the implementation
of resource efficiency. International cooperation
is a main success factor even for the industry in order to
successfully implement resource efficiency. An example
is the use of available recycling know-how of respective
Japanese companies. Industries must pursue a global approach.
In value-added networks the treatment of resource
efficiency should succeed together with the global players
and thereby create a clear connection between resource
efficiency and competitiveness.
Still, barriers exist to invest in resource efficiency innovations
in many companies (e.g. in the construction sector).
The modification of existing processes is problematic, even
if the payback period can be relatively short. Only where
the implementation of resource efficiency requires a small
effort (such as substitutes of investments in energy), innovations
are currently implemented.
The topic of resource efficiency can gain importance in
terms of economic benefits, when it is measured by economic
metrics. That way, appropriate data should be put
in relation to costs or shareholder value. Generally, companies
should explore resource efficiency options, because
many of them expect benefits from them.
In order to accomplish this, the economic thinking
should change according to the experts: environmentally
friendly product design and a product-related environmental
management can be considered as a model and implemented
accordingly. Therefore, it is necessary to allocate
the required assessment systems with established communication
skills. A more intensive communication also serves
to spread the available knowledge in large companies.
Raising demand for efficient solutions is needed for an
extensive implementation. Here new business, production
and consumption models could play a supporting role (e.g.
mass customization). There are already many resource-efficient
technologies ready to be used; however, they are
not used due to the lack of demand. In the field of eco-
innovations, the question arises of how much market the
industry can generate by itself or how much it depends on
the framework conditions.
An important role for the implementation of resource efficiency
is attributed to politics providing suitable frameworks.
Thus, a successful implementation of efficient technologies
depends on complying with existing requirements set by
the different authorities. This possibility of control and
influence needs to be used to strengthen the implemen-
tation of resource efficiency. Politics is required to review
the existing regional and national requirements and their
implementation. Many of the statutory basic conditions ap-
pear not to be adapted for the current challenge. A revision
of existing environmental laws and contracts should take
place with a global perspective.
Meaningful integration of various themes (e.g. water, air,
soil or chemicals) should take place, whereby a harmonised
use of the term “resources” supports the promotion of re-
source efficiency. Globally, it is important to consider that
a few countries such as China and the U.S. will claim most
of the global fossil resources in the future with the result
that new strategies are necessary. In the fields of climate
and energy there are already many legal regulations such
as emission trading; but in the field of resource efficiency,
such regulation is mostly missing. Thus, the Kyoto Protocol
might be used as blueprint for changes at process level being
implemented in a relatively short period of time. Similar
arrangements should take place in the field of resource efficiency
soon.
It is a political task to provide appropriate incentives and
instruments. For example, the legislation has an important
role in increasing the efficiency of regulated monopolies
(e.g. electricity grids). At the same time, the diversity of
regulation complicates radical changes. The development
of legislation determines the rules companies must meet in
the future. These “external” factors arising from regulations
are the central impetus for research, especially for monopolies.
Furthermore, there are fiscal instruments, e.g. tax
breaks for investments in the environment, encouraging
Ressourceneffizienzatlas
Resource Efficiency Atlas 17