Material Efficiency and Resource Conservation (MaRess)

Environmental burdens due to the extraction and use of resources, the related emissions and the disposal of waste lead directly to ecological and subsequently also social and economic problems. Insecurity of supply, a shortage of resources, international conflicts over raw materials triggered by this situation, high and strongly fluctuating prices for raw materials may result in serious economic and social distortions in every country across the world. The competitive disadvantages caused by inefficient use of resources jeopardise the development of companies and jobs. Enhancing resource efficiency will therefore increasingly become a major issue in national and international politics.

Against this background, the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) commissioned 31 project partners to conduct the research project “Material Efficiency and Resource Conservation (MaRess)” under the leadership of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.

The aim of this project is to make substantial progress in knowledge about four key areas for the enhancement of material efficiency and the conservation of resources.

• It is first important to ascertain the potential for enhancing resource efficiency.

• Second, approaches must be developed for target group-specific resource efficiency policies.

• Third, results are expected with regard to the analysis of the impact at macro- and micro-economic level.

• The fourth component is scientific monitoring of the specific implementation and agenda setting as well as dissemination of the results.

The IÖW is responsible for the work package containing the analysis and development of policy recommendations for consumer- and customer-related instruments but also (communications) instruments at the production/consumption interface which develop incentives for customers (B2C, B2P) and providers to consume and produce in a more resource-efficient manner.