Dematerialization and the economic crisis – are they parallel paths? Assessments based on the EU-15 case study
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Abstract
This paper investigates how the consumption of material resources has evolved over the last 20 years in the member states that make up the European Union-15, with the aim of analyzing whether there is dematerialization in these countries and which sectors are leading the way. The material footprint is used as an indicator of material consumption, since it indicates all the resources required by an economy. Using data from the material footprint and GDP, a model has been proposed to allow dematerialization in the EU-15 to be studied. The main results show that dematerialization has only occurred conjuncturally since the 2008 crisis, with the GDP-material-footprint coupling subsequently being restored.
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