Re-energising efficiency: looking beyond technology and economics

eceee’s annual policy seminar was arranged in cooperation with the SHAPE ENERGY platform.

Date and time: 27 November 2018 15.00 –18.15
Venue: Scotland House, Rond-point Schuman 6, Brussels

Panel debate
Social sciences, humanities & policy in 30-sec pieces

Films and presentations

The IEA 2018 Energy Efficiency Market report and the updated World Efficiency Scenario & The IEA 2018 World Energy Outlook. Kevin Lane, International Energy Agency.

Download presentation (pdf) | See film

The 2020 and 2030 energy efficiency targets and the task force to get back on track. Serena Pontoglio, European Commission, DG Energy.

Download presentation (pdf) | See film

Buildings 4 People. The impact of better buildings. Rodolphe NicolleBuildings 2030.

Download presentation (pdf) | See film

SHAPE ENERGY, the €2m European platform for energy-related social sciences and humanities (energy-SSH) and what i can do to create better energy efficiency policies. Ruth Mourik, DuneWorks.

Download presentation (pdf) | See film

Energy-SHIFT, the EU-supported platform for energy-related Social Sciences and Humanities reserach. Gerd Schönwälder, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation.

See filmed presentation

Energy Sufficiency, an introduction based on work from eceee's energy sufficiency proejct. Tina Fawcett, ECI, Oxford University.

See filmed presentation

Panel debate

Claude Turmes Joanne Wade Kevin Lane Serena Pontoglio
Rodolphe Nicolle Ruth Mourik Gerd Schönwälder Tina Fawcett

The panel debate was structured along the below questions:

Question 1. What sorts of information do policy makers want from social science and humanities research projects? How do they like this information to be presented?

Question 2. When should social scientists give their input to policy makers?

Question 3. Case studies and qualitative research are often seen as less 'rigorous' or useful than numbers quantifying effects. How can these alternative types of evidence be presented so that their value and usefulness becomes clear?

Question 4. Do policy makers need to learn how to make better use of the results from social science and humanities research projects? If so, how could they do this? What can we understad in social sciences and humanities within the dynamics of networks?

Question 5. Moving beyond efficiency to deliver energy sufficiency will only increase the importance of collaboration and of understanding people. Can the social sciences and humanities give key insights into how to do this better?

Question 6. Are there any recent policy 'disasters that could have been avoided if we had made better use of the insights from social science and humanities research?

Social sciences, humanities & policy in 30-sec pieces

We asked speakers and participants at the seminar what question they would like to be asked. We asked and they answered. 

What shall we do to get things right? Susanne Dyrbøl answers question on how energy efficiency could bring social benefits.
Why do we need social sciences as a complement to BaU analyses? Clemens Rohde answers question on how social sciences and humanities could increase the use of technologically viable solutions.
What is the thing with energy sufficiency? Tina Fawcett answers question on how social sciences and humanities could improve energy policy making.
We need to acknowledge the lack of multidisciplinary knowledge. Agneta Persson answers question on how to merge social sciences and humanities with Business as Usual energy policy.
What sort of policy disasters could have been avoided, had we taken social sciences and humanities into account? Joanne Wade replies.
We have to make home renovation all about people and move towards emotionally charged benefits. Kristina Klimovich answers question on how to unlock renovation in Europe.
Only by understanding the motivations of people, we can accelerate renovation. Adrian Joyce answers question on the importance of social sciences and humanities in renovation of buildings.
We need to broaden the scope to involve perspectives from other disciplines from social sciences and humanities than economics. Ruth Mourik on her view of behavioural insight teams.
We have the policies to deliver. We just need to implement them. Kevin Lane answers question on getting back to an annual 3 % improvement of energy intensity.

The scope of the seminar

The rate of energy efficiency improvements globally and in Europe is slowing down at a time when energy efficiency needs to deliver savings for the climate to meet the 1.5°C goal. We often seem to get stuck along classical battle lines whether something is technically feasible or not and whether it pays to do it.

Together with the SHAPE ENERGY project, eceee wants to explore whether alternative and complementary approaches could help us unlock larger savings and greenhouse gas reductions. Social sciences and humanities has played less of a role to date in shaping European energy policy than Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

SHAPE ENERGY aims to develop Europe’s expertise in using and applying energy-SSH. The innovative SHAPE ENRGY Platform (where eceee is a partner) brings together those who ‘demand’ energy research – including businesses, policymakers, and NGOs, who can use it to develop practical initiatives – with those who ‘supply’ that research.

Arranged by eceee as part of the SHAPE ENERGY platform project.


The sole responsibility for the content of this webpage lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

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The seminar is full - no more seats available