Eco-efficiency or/and eco-effectiveness? Shifting to innovative paradigms for resource productivity

Eco-efficiency has been pursued over the last two decades in different industries and branches. But, despite the fact that the culture and economic advantage in this direction have improved considerably, this paradigm must be considered a limitation if related to the necessity of greatly increasing resource productivity (at least by ten times), within sustainability. As a consequence of this, the new paradigm of co-effectiveness must be introduced and spread within all economies, in order to modify the type of development. This concept is outlined and discussed here, by taking as reference the 'ideal state', consisting of the use of zero resources (energy, materials, water, etc.) in all economic systems. Since this target cannot be achieved, it may be defined as 'state of bliss' and, in each different situation (branch of industry, services, whole economy), it is only possible to measure the 'distance' between a real situation and the 'ideal state', through a specific formula that is here reported. The distance can be obtained by using the energy and the material intensity at micro and macro levels. This formula permits both the obtaining of absolute figures and the comparison of different situations in the same branch of industry at different times and/or in different countries, and between different countries as a whole.