Talk: What is energy for? Understanding consumption, efficiency and demand, Elizabeth Shove

Sara Pasquier, from the IEA, invited Elizabeth to give an opening presentation to a two day workshop in Paris, launching a two year International Energy Agency programme of work on ‘energy efficiency and behaviour’.  As promised, the talk highlighted the dangers of focusing on energy efficiency (alone), challenged conventional methods of conceptualising behaviour, and argued for a more ambitious and more relevant focus on changing patterns of demand. There were representatives from more than 30 countries in the audience. The presentation was displayed on eight huge computer monitors, accompanied by four fans which were keeping this equipment cool.  The picture is from a later presentation which was about ‘branding’ and the energy star label –  applied to just this kind of equipment.