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OPEN: EU Scenario Storylines Report: - One Planet Economy Network

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Industrial policy<br />

� Measures to improve the resource-efficiency of production processes.<br />

Resource efficiency improvements are driven by various measures, for example<br />

through the early strengthening and widening of the Eco-Design Directive to<br />

include industrial inputs beyond energy and by strengthening public procurement<br />

regulations across <strong>EU</strong> Member States. Regulations on efficiency are promoted in<br />

tandem with increased efforts on recycling to ensure that recycling does not<br />

become an end in itself.<br />

� Recycled content manufacturing regulation. Industry and the manufacturing<br />

sectors were required to use a minimum of 20% recycled material in products by<br />

2020 (increased to 50% by 2040). The regulation applied also to products<br />

manufactured outside of the <strong>EU</strong> at facilities under ownership or control by <strong>EU</strong><br />

companies. In addition, an advanced ―Take back‖ law was applied to nearly all<br />

commercial products sold.<br />

� Expansion of extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligation beyond<br />

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive 2002/96/EC. 6<br />

The list of applicable priority products under WEEE was expanded to include all<br />

products composed of 50% or greater plastic, 50% or greater metals, as well as<br />

all products containing any mercury, batteries, all medical products, and all<br />

carpeting.<br />

Water resources<br />

� Full cost recovery water pricing. (Pricing covers financial, resource and<br />

environmental costs). Under the <strong>EU</strong> Water Pricing Directive, Member States are<br />

required to ensure full cost recovery water pricing in household, agricultural, and<br />

industrial (including mining) sectors. Under a stepwise increase between 2015 and<br />

2050, average water pricing for public water/wastewater services in non-water<br />

scarce <strong>EU</strong> regions is 5 €/m³; in water scarce regions, it is in the order of 8 €/m³.<br />

� Water pricing and removal of water-related energy subsidies. Existing<br />

water pricing subsidies for industries and agriculture were reduced, eliminated<br />

and refocused on water efficiency R&D (reduced by up to 50% by 2030; 100% by<br />

2050).<br />

� Measurement of water intensive products. A water intensity labelling scheme<br />

was introduced (for non-food goods) to raise consumer awareness and support<br />

retailer pressure on the supply chain to provide less water-intensive products. The<br />

labelling includes a measurement of both water and carbon footprints of products,<br />

to prevent negative trade-offs.<br />

Energy and transport<br />

� Market reforms. Implemented very early on (from 2012) to provide a level<br />

playing field for investment in demand side management, on-site generation and<br />

smart grid infrastructure.<br />

� Renewable energy and fossil-fuel power plants incorporating CCS/CCR.<br />

On the supply side, society was not prepared to accept any new conventional<br />

coal-fired power stations, and none are built from 2011 onwards. In addition to<br />

the decentralisation of the energy supply infrastructure, the rapid uptake of large<br />

scale renewable energy technologies is enabled by the combination of rapid<br />

technological innovation and targeted measures. The replacement of existing<br />

6 See, e.g., ―Priority products and materials report‖ at http://www.unep.org/resourcepanel/<br />

Page 21 of 57

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