Rebound

The concept of rebound effect relates to the direct and indirect effects of efficiency improvements over different time periods. The notion can provide useful insights that should prevent policy makers from being drawn into over simplistic and over optimistic assumptions about the effects of technological improvements on the reduction of energy demand. As well as providing an overview on the rebound literature, the chapter highlights a range of assumptions that need to be made in order to give rebound meaning in contemporary energy policy. The chapter concludes that analyses of rebound fail to capture broader social transformations and provide only a partial view of the changing demand for energy.