• Energy Research

These data are part of a data portal that accompanies the special issue ‘Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture,’ published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in 2023. To access the data portal, please visit: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4h4. This code represents a computational model investigating the dynamics of coupled and decoupled resource use and efficiency gains. It can be used to simulate the effects of exploration-exploitation strategies on efficiency, consumption and sustainability, considering different levels of direct and indirect rebound effects. The model simulates a population of agents who make decisions on whether to explore or exploit a natural resource. These agents become more efficient over time based on their chosen strategy, affecting resource consumption. Different scenarios are considered, including various rebound effects, which influence how efficiency gains impact resource use. The key elements of the model include agents' uncertainty about the efficiency of their actions, the operationalization of efficiency as a reward, and the calculation of resource consumption based on efficiency gains and rebound effects. The model provides insights into how agents' decisions and resource use evolve over time under different conditions. This computational framework offers a valuable tool for exploring the complex dynamics of resource consumption and management in the face of environmental challenges. It can be applied to gain a deeper understanding of the Jevons Paradox and its implications for sustainable resource use. This computational model simulates the dynamics of exploration and exploitation strategies within a population of agents. These agents make decisions on whether to explore new solutions or exploit existing ones, with a focus on maximizing efficiency. The model employs a N-armed bandit problem approach, where agents select actions to maximize efficiency gains. Efficiency is operationalized as a reward, and agents use sample means to estimate expected efficiency. A balance between exploration and exploitation is maintained through a probability-based algorithm. The code also encompasses resource domains, representing different resources and their dynamics, along with computations of resource consumption, existing resources, and sustainability indices. The simulations consider various parameter combinations to examine the model's behavior. Overall, the code serves as a tool for studying the interplay between exploration, exploitation, efficiency, and resource consumption within a population of agents across different scenarios, making it valuable for investigating the effects of rebound effects on resource consumption and sustainability. The simulations run a comprehensive set of parameter combinations to explore the model's behavior thoroughly. # Code from: Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: Exploration-exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects. Python scripts to run the model, as described in: Segovia-Martin J, Creutzig F, Winters J. 2023 Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: exploration–exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 378: 20220405. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2022.0405 The code and supplementary materials are all freely accessible at the following link: [https://github.com/School-of-Collective-Intelligence/Jevons-Paradox-and-Cultural-Evolution](https://github.com/School-of-Collective-Intelligence/Jevons-Paradox-and-Cultural-Evolution) The simulator can be accessed via the following links: [https://jevons-collectiveintelligence.pythonanywhere.com/](https://jevons-collectiveintelligence.pythonanywhere.com/) or [https://jsegoviamartin.pythonanywhere.com/](https://jsegoviamartin.pythonanywhere.com/) The DOI of this Dryad repository: [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqnk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqnk) ##

Higher levels of economic activity are often accompanied by higher energy use and consumption of natural resources. As fossil fuels still account for 80% of the global energy mix, energy consumption remains closely linked to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and thus to climate change. Under the assumption of sufficiently elastic demand, this reality of global economic development based on permanent growth of economic activity, brings into play the Jevons Paradox, which hypothesises that increases in the efficiency of resource use leads to increases in resource consumption. Previous research on the rebound effects has limitations, including a lack of studies on the connection between reinforcement learning and environmental consequences. This paper develops a mathematical model and computer simulator to study the effects of micro-level exploration–exploitation strategies on efficiency, consumption and sustainability, considering different levels of direct and indirect rebound effects. Our model shows how optimal exploration–exploitation strategies for increasing efficiency can lead to unsustainable development patterns if they are not accompanied by demand reduction measures, which are essential for mitigating climate change. Moreover, our paper speaks to the broader issue of efficiency traps by highlighting how indirect rebound effects not only affect primary energy (PE) consumption and GHG emissions, but also resource consumption in other domains. By linking these issues together, our study sheds light on the complexities and interdependencies involved in achieving sustainable development goals. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture’.

These data are part of a data portal that accompanies the special issue 'Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture,' published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in 2023. To access the data portal, please visit: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4h4. This code represents a computational model investigating the dynamics of coupled and decoupled resource use and efficiency gains. It can be used to simulate the effects of exploration-exploitation strategies on efficiency, consumption and sustainability, considering different levels of direct and indirect rebound effects. The model simulates a population of agents who make decisions on whether to explore or exploit a natural resource. These agents become more efficient over time based on their chosen strategy, affecting resource consumption. Different scenarios are considered, including various rebound effects, which influence how efficiency gains impact resource use. The key elements of the model include agents' uncertainty about the efficiency of their actions, the operationalization of efficiency as a reward, and the calculation of resource consumption based on efficiency gains and rebound effects. The model provides insights into how agents' decisions and resource use evolve over time under different conditions. This computational framework offers a valuable tool for exploring the complex dynamics of resource consumption and management in the face of environmental challenges. It can be applied to gain a deeper understanding of the Jevons Paradox and its implications for sustainable resource use. This computational model simulates the dynamics of exploration and exploitation strategies within a population of agents. These agents make decisions on whether to explore new solutions or exploit existing ones, with a focus on maximizing efficiency. The model employs a N-armed bandit problem approach, where agents select actions to maximize efficiency gains. Efficiency is operationalized as a reward, and agents use sample means to estimate expected efficiency. A balance between exploration and exploitation is maintained through a probability-based algorithm. The code also encompasses resource domains, representing different resources and their dynamics, along with computations of resource consumption, existing resources, and sustainability indices. The simulations consider various parameter combinations to examine the model's behavior. Overall, the code serves as a tool for studying the interplay between exploration, exploitation, efficiency, and resource consumption within a population of agents across different scenarios, making it valuable for investigating the effects of rebound effects on resource consumption and sustainability. The simulations run a comprehensive set of parameter combinations to explore the model's behavior thoroughly.