Economy

aving energy will become one of the most important economical concerns of companies. Numerous new laws will punish enterprises with compensatory payments that do not reduce their energy consumption or keep working ineffeciently. Using this threat, governments aim to strenghen research and investment and to avert the blockade of new technologies that are expensive in their adoption but work with less energy. Many companies already recognized the advantages they could have by developing new methods. A pioneer on this field was the DuPont group in 1987, which developed a substitute für CFC and by that became the market leader for refrigerators.
Still a great number of companies is not willing to accept a voluntary self-commitment. They are especially repeled by the short-term costs of new technologies and production methods. Which incentives could encourage companies to employ new technologies? Are self-imposed restrictions more efficient than laws?
The advantages of an early adjustment of the used technologies could be stressed by emphasizing the huge long term costs that the further waste of energy will cause. How can companies be convinced to promote investment and research in new technologies? Many consumers want to control the origin of their energy and track how it was generated. How can their influence be strenghened?
What are your ideas? Share your thoughts with us!!