Dilemmas of energy efficiency: A systematic review of the rebound effect and attempts to curb energy consumption

This systematic review scrutinizes the forty-one-year history of the energy rebound effect studies, specifies the main fields of research, and identifies the emerging trends of study. It categorizes all the reviewed studies into two classes, namely microeconomic and macroeconomic and each of them is partitioned into five subsections based on the approach undertaken to analyse or estimate the energy rebound effect. Although many aspects of the microeconomic rebound effect have been clarified, the domain of studies should be broadened, new durables should be studied, and the economic structure of developing countries should be taken into account. At the macroeconomic level, a few empirical studies have been conducted and no comprehensive theoretical foundation is available yet. Enlightening the macroeconomic aspect of the rebound effect, specifying the sources and the methods to analyse and estimate the exact size of the effect can be considered as a baseline for future studies.

Using two bibliometric packages helps us to distinguish the most influential publications and authors over the years and shed light on the new streams of study. The study reveals that the number of annual scientific productions exploded after the Kyoto protocol was implemented and the urgency to act was highlighted.