Barriers and drivers for energy efficiency: Different perspectives from an exploratory study in the Netherlands

Abstract

Increased energy efficiency represents a crucial opportunity for European industrial sustainability, but several barriers still need to be tackled, as recent policies have not often succeeded as expected. Thus, it is crucial to understand the existing mismatches between the perception of enterprises, and what the major actors promoting energy efficiency believe enterprises suffer from and need to within the decisionmaking process of investing in energy efficiency. To do so, we have performed an exploratory investigation analyzing a set of Dutch manufacturing enterprises. The study involved other actors, namely the Dutch National Energy agency, the local government, as well as industrial associations to map the views of stakeholders in the decision making cycle. Results show that even a general common understanding of the barriers is disputed, as the interviewees exclusively agree on the primary role of economic barriers. Large mismatches appear when considering how single barriers affect the decisionmaking process and which drivers - and actors promoting them - need to be addressed. Therefore, much greater attention should be paid to such issues, extending policies from industrial final users to all companies supplying enterprises with capital, technologies, services, information, and competences.