Quantification of the business benefits of resource efficiency

Abstract:

This report quantifies business resource efficiency opportunities in the UK economy. The report is the result of a study carried out by Oakdene Hollins Ltd and Grant Thornton UK LLP for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) between March and September 2007.

This study focuses on resource efficiency savings that require low or no financial investment whilst reducing the quantity of waste produced or the consumption of energy or water.

The methodology used in this study comprised six main steps: Quantification of the overall consumption, Quantification of the savings, Conversion of physical savings into financial savings, The inclusion of any hidden or additional cost savings, Grossing up, and Regional Analysis.

This study estimated the total value of low-cost / no-cost resource efficiency savings to range between £5.6 billion to £7.4 billion (mean £6.4 billion annual savings opportunity), which equates to 0.6% of UK gross valued added and 1.9% of UK gross operating surplus (profit). Energy (52%) and waste (41%) are the two areas where the most opportunity was identified.

1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Detailed resource analysis - waste
4. Detailed resource analysis - energy
5. Detailed resource analysis - water
6. Regional analysis
7. Conclusions
8. Further Work
9. Appendix 1: The preliminary analysis
10. Appendix 2: Regional waste arisings
11. Appendix 3: Food and drink sector
12. Appendix 4: Chemical sector analysis
13. Appendix 5: Waste savings opportunities
14. Appendix 6: "H Score" methodology
15. Appendix 7: Detailed analysis of energy savings opportunities
16. Appendix 8: Detailed analysis of water savings opportunities
17. Appendix 9: Detailed analysis of regional savings opportunities

Publication Year:

2007

Publisher:

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

DOI:

No DOI minted

Author(s):

Lee, P., Walsh, B. and Smith, P.