Abstract

To date, most research relating to climate change mitigation has focused on reducing supply-side emissions. However, any efforts to reduce emissions per tonne of material is likely to be more than offset by increasing absolute demand as the global population increases and becomes more affluent. Demand side mitigation strategies therefore also need to be considered to ensure absolute reductions in emissions are achieved. The WellMet 2050 group identified six demand-side strategies for reducing the consumption of energy intensive materials without affecting the quality of service associated with their use (light weighting, scrap diversion, reuse without re-melting, life extension, more intense use and yield improvements). However, less is known about what policies might be needed to realise these efficiency gains, how business models might evolve and what the potential macro-level impact would be to transition to and sustain a more materially efficient economy. This presentation will focus on steel use by the automotive industry in the UK as a case study and discuss early findings regarding the potential impact of different material efficiency strategies on employment and emissions in the UK and abroad.