Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Factor Four

Rate this book
This report answers the 1971 report published by the Club of Rome that argued the world was going to run out of essential resources. It offers a solution, arguing for more efficient use of resources, in ways which can already be done, and at a negative cost. Examples show how much can be acheived by combining technical resources. The authors also suggest how markets can be organised to eliminate perverse incentives and reward efficiency, thus wealth can grow while consumption does not.

322 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

2 people are currently reading
124 people want to read

About the author

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
12 (26%)
4 stars
21 (45%)
3 stars
8 (17%)
2 stars
4 (8%)
1 star
1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Profile Image for Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership.
50 reviews293 followers
January 4, 2011
One of Cambridge Sustainability's Top 50 Books for Sustainability, as voted for by our alumni network of over 3,000 senior leaders from around the world. To find out more, click here.

Factor Four, a report to the Club of Rome which showcases 50 examples of best practice, argues that natural resources can be used more efficiently in all domains of daily life, either by generating more products, services and quality of life from the available resources, or by using fewer resources to maintain the same standard.

Our focus on production and productivity has had a number of negative side-effects: we are overusing the natural environment, decreasing the availability of non-renewable resources and creating enormous waste, possibly as much as £10 trillion every year globally. The alternative is Factor Four: using resources more efficiently, doing more with less, and increasing our resource productivity while using fewer resources.
3 reviews
June 7, 2020
Truly truly exceptional!
The thing the world needs most today is simple hard hitting methods to improve the environment to be given to elected officials on a silver platter t implement which do not increase cost of compliance or cost of business. This is exactly that.
It is still more surprising the lack of implementation of these simple choices comparing to what dumb expenses governments over the world undertake.
P.S.: I have given the same review for Factor 4 & Factor 5 since I read them together...
Profile Image for Mónica.
367 reviews
April 21, 2023
libro enteramente consagrado a crear conciencia hacia la eficacia, a derrocha menos energía y materia primas, motivada o relacionada con la crisis del medio ambiente.
Proponen y dan ejemplos de:
-productividad energética (ha tenido que llegar una guerra para ponernos a ello).
-leasing, de todo tipo, no solo de vehículos.
-cultura del reaprovechamiento.
-etc.
Libro de 1996, que vemos ahora un poquito de lo que pregonaban, pero a este paso...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.