Introduction to Panel 2 Sustainable production design and supply chain initiatives

摘要

Industrial sustainability and circular economy have gained increased relevance in the policy-making agenda. Energy efficiency, within the broader field of resource efficiency, surely represents one effective means towards increased industrial sustainability. When dealing with manufacturing companies, as known, energy efficiency is strictly connected to the management and improvement of energy resources, from local and distributed generation to final use, offering energy and additional benefits, thus leading to a more sustainable production. Nevertheless, on the one hand investing in energy efficiency represents a complex decision-making process that needs to be thoroughly understood by both final users and external stakeholders. On the other hand, energy efficiency measures represent a wide set of actions that not only include the adoption of innovative technologies, but also require changes in the behaviour of operators for a more sustainable production. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the strong set of those relationships is crucial in order to tackle existing barriers and make leverage on the most important drivers to promote the adoption of best energy efficiency measures and practices. A boost towards energy efficiency can be done at various levels: through actions specifically devoted for final users, but also with a deeper coordination of the stakeholders involved in the supply chain of energy efficiency solutions, and through a creation of specific networks in which the exchange of experiences and knowledge should be fostered. In doing so, further considerations on the implications of the overall sustainability of companies and implications for their business are crucial. This panel aims at offering a contribution in the debate over the aforementioned issues through a unique blend of theoreti- cal and empirical studies, with contributions from industry, academia and policy-making institutions, organized into five main sub-streams as follows: ⅰ) investing in energy efficiency; ⅱ) benefits of energy efficiency; ⅲ) innovation for energy efficiency; ⅳ) network and supply chain for energy efficiency; and ⅴ) energy efficiency and heat.