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Drivers for energy efficiency and their effect on barriers: empirical evidence from Italian manufacturing enterprises

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An Erratum to this article was published on 13 December 2016

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Abstract

Industrial activities are responsible for a significant share of both global delivered energy demand and CO2 emissions. Hence, a widespread adoption of energy-efficient technologies and practices represents a crucial means for sustainable production. Adopting a novel framework of drivers for energy efficiency describing the effect of drivers on barriers in the decision-making process steps and able to account for the nature of drivers and the stakeholders responsible for their promotion, we have performed an exploratory investigation into 61 manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Italy. Our findings have highlighted the importance of information and economic drivers, showing the need for enterprises to be supported not only by public institutions but also by external stakeholders involved in the supply of energy-efficient technologies and practices such as industrial associations and groupings, as well as service and technology suppliers. Moreover, our study has highlighted an almost equal relevance of both internal and external drivers. According to our findings, the increase of awareness—generating the interest to energy issues and stimulated both by external and internal stakeholders—as well as financial issues have emerged as the most critical in the decision-making process to adopt an energy-efficient measure. A preliminary comprehension of the mechanisms relating drivers to barriers in the decision-making process brought additional value to the study, highlighting the most effective and specific means to overcome the existing barriers. We have also explored the effect of several firm characteristics, such as firm size and energy intensity offering suggestions for industrial decision-makers as well as policy-makers.

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  • 13 December 2016

    An erratum to this article has been published.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Enrico Cagno, Andrea Trianni, Giovanni Spallina & Federico Marchesani

Authors
  1. Enrico Cagno
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  2. Andrea Trianni
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  3. Giovanni Spallina
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  4. Federico Marchesani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Trianni.

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised: The given name of one of the authors was incorrectly captured as “Vincenzo” when it should be “Giovanni”.

An erratum to this article is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-016-9498-8.

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Cagno, E., Trianni, A., Spallina, G. et al. Drivers for energy efficiency and their effect on barriers: empirical evidence from Italian manufacturing enterprises. Energy Efficiency 10, 855–869 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-016-9488-x

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