The Indirect Rebound Effect

When planes became more fuel efficient, ticket prices decreased and more people started to travel by plane. As cost per mile dropped, more miles were flown. In those six countries, extra energy spending overtook all the efficiency gains achieved. All of this data casts doubt on the wisdom of relying on energy efficiency policies to reduce energy demand. Policy makers need to take rebound effects into account for air quality and climate change reasons. The point is that energy efficiency can't be pursued in a vacuum. It has to coincide with changes to extractive resources such as less cancerous plants or fewer nuclear power stations. We have nothing against making more efficient devices but we must not make them indiscriminately use our planet's