The Slippery Slope of the Energy Descent

The author contends that Europe's energy scarcity is a long-term reality that cannot be solved by new fossil fuels or nuclear power, necessitating a shift toward 'energy sobriety'. This approach distinguishes itself from energy efficiency by focusing on the fair distribution of energy reduction rather than technical innovation. The text explores historical precedents for rationing in France and the Netherlands to argue that collective sufficiency is feasible. Proposed mechanisms for a just transition include progressive energy tariffs—where essential use is cheap and misuse is expensive—and personal carbon quotas to ensure equitable distribution and prevent social conflict during the energy transition.

• Energy sobriety, or 'sufficiency', is defined as a political vision for a society that reduces its dependence on energy through structural, democratic, and socially just changes, rather than relying on technical innovations to maintain economic growth.
• The author distinguishes energy sobriety from energy efficiency, arguing that the latter often remains embedded in a growth paradigm that can ultimately lead to higher global energy consumption.
• Historical examples from France during World War I and the Netherlands during the 1973 oil crisis demonstrate that governments can implement rationing policies that maintain social cohesion if they ensure fairness for the poor and security for the wealthy.
• Current EU emergency measures to combat energy crises are criticized for focusing exclusively on prices rather than quantities and uses, which fails to distinguish between essential needs and extravagant consumption.
• A progressive energy tariff is proposed as a solution to ensure essential needs are met while charging a premium for high consumption, following the principle of "free use and expensive misuse".
• The document discusses the 'Domestic Tradable Quotas' system, proposed by David Fleming in 1996, which would divide a national carbon budget into individual emission rights to create a redistributive effect.

APA

Ore, S. (2022). The Slippery Slope of the Energy Descent. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-slippery-slope-of-the-energy-descent/

Chicago

Ore, Swen. The Slippery Slope of the Energy Descent. Green European Journal, 2022. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-slippery-slope-of-the-energy-descent/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ore |first1=Swen |title=The Slippery Slope of the Energy Descent |publisher=Green European Journal |date=30 November 2022 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-slippery-slope-of-the-energy-descent/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ore2022slippery, author = {Ore, Swen}, title = {{The Slippery Slope of the Energy Descent}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-slippery-slope-of-the-energy-descent/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }