EcoInnovation

Putting the EU on the path to a resource and energy efficient economy.
The objective of this study was to support the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in its work on the EU’s industrial and energy policy giving advice on how the EU can reduce its needs for resources and energy and create innovative business solutions through eco-innovation.

Achieving resource efficiency and a low carbon society are key challenges for the future of EU’s economy, its industrial and service sector, and its citizens. Increasing energy and resource efficiency will lead to lowering material purchasing costs throughout industry. It thus enhances competitiveness and offers opportunities to innovate. Eco-innovation can be seen as a key to enhancing Europe’s strategic position on world markets of tomorrow.

The objective of this study is to support the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in its work on the EU’s industrial and energy policy and to give advice on the following issues:

• What policies are needed for the EU to on the one hand reduce its needs for resources and energy and on the other hand through eco-innovation create solutions, which will also drive innovation in a large range of industrial sectors?

• Are existing measures delivering the set objectives and what improvements/ new instruments should be set forward? To meet these objectives, the study is structured in three main parts: 1. giving an overview on resource scarcities; 2. elaborating on eco-innovation, including potentials, trends and driving forces; 3. developing proposals for EU policies.

SERI provided the first part for this report, which elaborates scenarios of possible resource scarcities, describes patterns of resource use in different sectors of the EU and analysing those sectors most heavily affected by resource scarcity. SERI also contributed to the evaluation of current EU policies (e.g. research policies) regarding their impact on eco-innovation.

The final project report has now been released.

It provides an overview on resource scarcities (Chapter 2), an elaboration on eco-innovation, including trends, barriers and driving forces(Chapter 3), proposals for future EU policies (Chapter 4) as well as a possible vision for the future (Chapter 5). The report is a joint publication of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, and Energy (project leader), Factor 10 Institute, SERI, UNEP / Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), the Resource Efficiency Knowledge Transfer Network, and Technopolis.

The report can be downloaded here.