Work Packages

Work Package 1 “Common Approach”

Work Package 1 served to enable a common understanding of key concepts, terminology and the project’s methodological approach in order to ensure coherence in the various WPs. Moreover, WP 1 identified Thematic Leaders for key policy fields such as energy or water. Thus, WP1 fed into all following WPs and played a central role in ensuring an integrated research approach.

Work Package 2 “Reasons for Inefficiency”

Work Package 2 explored the entire life cycle of resource inefficiency: unsustainable resource extraction; inefficiencies in production (barriers to eco-innovation); unsustainable consumption; and barriers to recycling and waste reduction. Furthermore, WP2 identified underlying reasons for resource inefficiencies, including structural, institutional and economic drivers. Thus, it informed the analysis of existing policies (WP3), the development of policy mixes (WP4) and their ex-ante assessment (WP 5 and 6).

Work Package 3 “Assessing existing policies and policy mixes”

Work Package 3 analysed the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of exemplary existing policies and policy mixes concerning resource efficiency as well as their contribution to eco-innovation. The case study selection was guided by a strict methodology in order to ensure that relevant examples for existing resource efficiency policies were examined while at the same time covering a broad thematic scope and the full range of available instruments. Results from WP3 helped pointing towards the development of promising policy mixes (WP4).

Work Package 4 “Scenarios and new policy mixes”

Work Package 4 built on the results from WPs 1 to 3 and proposed – supported by expert and stakeholder input (WP7) – 3 promising policy mixes to engage on pathways to absolute decoupling. To this end, WP4 developed a set of external socio-economic context scenarios, which were used for sensitivity analyses for the quantitative ex-ante assessments of the policy mixes. After participatory selection, these policy mixes served as a basis for the ensuing assessments in WP5 and WP6. The proposed policy mixes were adjusted iteratively depending on the outcome of the effectiveness validation in WP6 - which led to producing a revised version of

Ekvall, T., Elander, M., Umpfenbach, K., Hirschnitz-Garbers, M., Hudson, C., Wunder, S., Nesbit, M., Keenleyside, C., Mazza, L., Russi, D., Tucker, G., Underwood, E., Withana, S., Bicket, M., Vanner, R., Kong, M.A., Tan, A., Bigano, A., Eboli, F., Gaska, J., Śniegocki, A. (2016): Development of DYNAMIX Policy Mixes – Deliverable D4.2, revised version. Gothenburg, Sweden: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

Work Package 5 “Qualitative assessment”

Work Package 5 analysed relevant impacts of the selected policy mixes which cannot be covered sufficiently in the quantitative modelling (WP6). First, it  developed a common framework to integrate the various qualitative assessments, allowing for a complete synthesis of the qualitative findings. The assessment spanned qualitative environmental impacts, economic impacts (such as market failures), social impacts and governance-related impacts including legal aspects and public acceptance. Tthe results of the assessments were used to iteratively refine the policy mixes proposed in WP4.

Work Package 6 “Quantitative Modelling”

Work Package 6 tested the 3 selected policy mixes using innovative modelling based on stakeholder input and expert input from WP5. The modelling  explored the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the policy mixes in the short-term and long-term. An initial validation of the effectiveness of the policy mixes aided an iterative readjustment of the mixes in WP4.

Work Package 7 “In-built stakeholder involvement and dissemination”

Work Package 7 integrated - as an overarching WP - key stakeholders and experts into the various stages of the entire project (WP1 to WP6). In addition to a high-level Advisory Board, Policy Platforms helped frame the stakeholder input and dissemination activities and supported the validation and legitimisation of the project findings.

Work Package 8 “Synthesis for policy guidance and recommendations”

Work Package 8 translated the research findings of WP 2 to 6 into accessible and easily understandable guidance for policy-makers and other stakeholders.

Work Package 9 “Project management”

Work Package 9 served to ensure a continuous flow of information and exchange between the project and the Commission as well as among the consortium and with other research projects. It furthermore oversaw that all deliverables were produced and all objectives are met on time, in good scientific quality and within the budget.