Resource efficiency: a new element in Germany's funding program for companies

Resource efficiency has gained increasing attention as a complement to energy efficiency in recent years and it will likely grow in relevance in the future. The sparing use of resources can make a substantial contribution towards energy efficiency. Its relevance is also mirrored in funding schemes for enhancing energy efficiency: In Germany, companies may request financial support for the implementation of resource efficiency measures under the Federal Funding Scheme for Energy and Resource Efficiency in the Economy (EEE) since November 2021. Since it is the first extension of this kind in a German funding scheme, this paper aims to provide a high-level over view of funding activities in the first year. To this end, application data for the funding and energy saving concepts submitted by the companies were analyzed in more details. The results show that material substitution measures play a particularly important role. These projects, particularly in the cement, metal and plastics industries, are characterized by high absolute greenhouse gas reductions. On the other hand, a significant pro portion of these types of projects are not economically viable in terms of material costs. From a methodological point of view, it is not always clear where the greenhouse gas reductions were achieved in resource efficiency projects. Due to the LCA approach, it is conceivable that some of the savings are imported.