In the debate about the use of energy there are often presented studies showing that economic development (or growth, or increased welfare) demands an increasing use of energy. This would lead to two things. If less energy is used it would lead to less wealth and less jobs (or a stagnation of the economy). Economic growth demands more energy, which would have a negative effect on the environment.

This view is especially obvious in many international environmental agreements. The so-called developing nations are saying they need to increase their use of energy in order to have a growing economy. In the western world many see with fear a ticking environmental bomb and fears regarding global warming. (Especially the fast economic growth in the populous China and India are seen with great fear). But also in the western world the fear of stagnation is used as an argument against the reduction of their use of energy.

But must there be a connection between economic growth and an increasing use of energy?

The rapport “Halva energin – Hela välfärden” (The same welfare for half the energy), made by the Swedish association for nature protection (SNF) and Sweco, is showing that it is possible for Sweden to decrease its use of energy with half by 2030 and keep the same level of welfare!

Between 1970 and 1998 the industry production in Sweden grew with 71% and the private consumption grew with 65%. In the same time the number of places to live grew with nearly 40 %.  The BNP (the measurement for economic wealth) has grown steady the whole period, as the diagram shows. Despite all this the total amount of energy used has been relatively constant since 1970. Economic growth hasn’t led to a similar growth in the use of energy. On the contrary, the use of energy decreased during the 1990s.

The rapport is explaining this development partly as a result of a larger service sector, but mostly because a more efficient use of energy throughout the period. Above all the statistics shows that there doesn’t have to be a connection between economic growth and the use of energy!

If we then don’t have to lower our standard of living if we want to decrease our use of energy with half, what has to be done? I will return to this.