Towards a systemic view on rebound effects: Modelling the feedback loops of rebound mechanisms

Rebound Effects (RE) are systemic responses that are relentless in hindering the achievement of the intended effects of sustainability actions. Despite the wide recognition of RE, the limited understanding of the underlying causal structures sustaining RE hampers the ability to anticipate, prevent, and tackle them. This paper describes various structures leading to RE based on qualitative system dynamics (SD) modelling using causal loop diagrams (CLD). More specifically, to demonstrate the use of CLDs for RE, 26 rebound mechanisms were modelled and organised in a comprehensive catalogue of mechanisms. Two generic rebound mechanisms are derived from the catalogue, depicting RE as either (1) reinforcing loops acting against quick fixes to control local resource consumption or (2) balancing reactions in the opposite direction of attempts to control local resource consumption leading to escalation behaviour. Four research contributions highlight how this research's results support a systemic view on RE, the natural evolutionary step required to understand and manage its occurrence.