Managing energy usage in a more efficient way would have a rebound effect reducing carbon and energy savings by half, according to a new study presented at a Cambridge University seminar on Thursday.

According to the study, if recommendations for efficiency measures by the International Energy Agency's are followed in full, the total rebound effect could be 31 percent by 2020 and about 52 percent by 2030, around the world.

The so-called rebound effect is the proportion of potential energy savings offset by changes in consumer and industry behavior, the Guardian newspaper notes.

The green stimulus packages being implemented to tackle the financial crisis in several countries all include investments in energy efficiency, said Terry Barker, the study's program director told the Guardian. They may be a lot less effective at reducing energy use than expected because of the rebound effect, especially in developing countries.

Barker along with a team of economists, business people and policymakers will discuss in the seminar how to address the rebound effect issues and integrate them to climate agreements.

The rebound effect is related to the Jevons paradox, a proposition that establishes that the increase in efficiency raises consumption instead of decreasing it.

Energy