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In most countries, minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and energy labels are the key policies to accelerate the diffusion of energy-efficient appliances and to help meet energy efficiency and climate policy targets. This paper estimates country-specific multivariate econometric models for eight EU countries over the period of 2007 to 2017 to evaluate the combined effects of changes in the MEPS and the energy labels entering into force in the EU in 2010 and 2011. The findings suggest that these policies increased the market share of cold appliances (refrigerators and fridge-freezer combinations) with an energy label of A+ and better between about 15 and 38 percentage points. For these appliances, autonomous developments (captured through a time trend) are estimated to range between 5 and 10 percentage points per year. Thus, failure to account for autonomous developments would have resulted in substantially overestimating the combined effects of MEPS and energy label policies in the EU. The findings further imply that policy evaluations should allow for policy effectiveness and autonomous developments to differ across countries.

In most countries, minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and energy labels are the key policies to accelerate the diffusion of energy-efficient appliances and to help meet energy efficiency and climate policy targets. This paper estimates country-specific multivariate econometric models for eight EU countries over the period of 2007 to 2017 to evaluate the combined effects of changes in the MEPS and the energy labels entering into force in the EU in 2010 and 2011. The findings suggest that these policies increased the market share of cold appliances (refrigerators and fridge-freezer combinations) with an energy label of A+ and better between about 15 and 38 percentage points. For these appliances, autonomous developments (captured through a time trend) are estimated to range between 5 and 10 percentage points per year. Thus, failure to account for autonomous developments would have resulted in substantially overestimating the combined effects of MEPS and energy label policies in the EU. The findings further imply that policy evaluations should allow for policy effectiveness and autonomous developments to differ across countries.

Energy efficiency networks (EENs) have established themselves as a firm fixture in the global energy efficiency landscape. At least 21 countries and all continents except Australia have experience with energy efficiency networks to this point. The authors count 1,333 EENs worldwide, with Germany and China far ahead of other countries in terms of absolute numbers. Next, this paper offers insights from the monitoring ofthe German Initiative Energy Efficiency Networks, set up as a voluntary measure within the framework of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency in 2014. To date, 272 EENs have registered under this programme. The results of the accompanyingmonitoring are represented separately for different levels: that of networks, that of participating companies and that of individual energy efficiency measures implemented. Across these different levels, a large heterogeneity in terms of the mainparameters such as energy and CO2 savings can be observed, highlighting the diversity of participating companies and the contexts they operate in. Also presented are the factors which seem to contribute to the successful or less successful operation of the networks. Finally, the paper offers a short discussion on the operational and political choices faced by the potential future initiators of an energy efficiency networks initiative.

The energy efficiency network (EEN) concept was first developed in Switzerland in the late 1980s and was adopted in Germany in 2002. During a long pilot phase between 2002 and 2013, the lessons from 40 Learning EENs (LEENs) in Germany led to a certain format for regional EENs for SMEs and larger companies. By the end of 2014, the Energy Efficiency Network Initiative (IEEN) was launched as a voluntary agreement between the German government and currently 22 industrial and economic associations, to support the creation of 500 new EENs until the end of 2020. This paper reports on two aspects of EENs of companies in Germany: The results of ongoing evaluations regarding German EENs following different operational formats in terms of duration, number of participants, network energy saving target, etc. The evaluations regard challenges and means to improve EEN-related work as well as first results of a rough assessment of the IEEN impacts regarding energy savings and emission reductions. The long-term impacts on energy use, innovative activities and changed decision routines in participating companies of regional LEENs. This evaluation gives deep insights into achieved energy cost savings within an investment period, into the diffusion of efficiency-related knowledge into subsidiary companies within groups and into the reaction of machinery manufacturers and plant planners to the demand of more efficient solutions by network participant Finally, this paper concludes with an analysis of the lessons learned from German EENs including barriers and challenges to initiate EENs as well as suggestions to improve EENs' promotion. The main finding is that EENs are not only a successful concept in terms of energy efficiency but it also offers multiple benefits to the participants such as innovative ideas for energy efficient solutions. However, a major challenge is to convince companies to join EENs.

It is becoming increasingly clear that linear modes of production and consumption are unsustainable. A circular economy would help to minimize both environmental and social problems. As a result, the concept is gaining momentum in the political discourse. However, current policies do not seem sufficient to transform linear value chains to circular ones. This paper compares the potentials of and prerequisites for a circular economy along two important value chains. As a best practice example, the legal framework along the battery value chain is analyzed. This analysis is used to derive recommendations for how to improve the legal framework along the building value chain. We find that the battery value chain is already addressed by targeted instruments and the instruments addressing the building value chain have to be aligned and their credibility improved through mandatory requirements. A value chain‐specific approach to develop the legal framework is promising for key sectors, while both general frameworks and value chain‐specific instruments are required to fully exploit the CE for every product.