Energy saving and modern society

Panel: Panel 5: Energy Policy for a Sustainable Environment

Author:
Eero Tanskanen, Statistics Finland

Abstract

The past two decades have seen some significant advances in energy economy. Energy-saving measures have played a significant role in increasing the efficiency of energy use in virtually all sectors of energy consumption and in improving the cost-effectiveness of energy production. In reality, however, total energy consumption has increased markedly in almost all industrial countries during the period under review. The indications are that the same trend will continue in the years to come, and that, according to many international studies, may have disastrous ecological and social consequences.

This paper begins by comparing the results of energy-savmg measures with the trend in total energy consumption, with scenarios for future total energy consumption and with the global need to save energy. The main argument is that the conflict between the trends in energy consumption and the need to save energy cannot be explained away solely by reference to hard facts related to the energy system. The paper seeks to demonstrate that the problems of saving energy are closely intertwined with certain fundamental principles that govern the development of modern society and that need to be given serious attention in energy-related studies. The paper offers a framework for studying energy-saving, identifies the main connections between modern society and the energy system, and looks at the questton of why the reduction of energy consumption to a level that meets the global need for energy-saving is not possible without a thorough rethinking of some of the most fundamental principles of modern society. The aim is not to offer practical advice on how to save energy or to analyse in detail the energy-saving policies pursued, but rather to develop tools for approaching the problems concerned from a fresh perspective. And further, the aim is to link up pragmatic research on energy-saving with some of the fundamental problems of social theory. Instead of setting out ready truths, the intention is to open up new perspectives.