Mapping the policy mix in Europe: the case of energy efficiency in the residential sector

In light of the growing urgency of climate change and the subsequent socio-economic implications, the development and adoption of eco-innovation represents a potential solution. Nevertheless, the success of this endeavor may be contingent upon the implementation of welldesigned policies. The design of national policy mixes can provide insights to understand the extent and significance of the efforts devoted to eco-innovation. This report presents two main descriptive observations. First, the European environmental policy landscape is examined, revealing the dispersion of heterogeneous information across four major environmental policy databases. Second, the report employs a fuzzy matching approach to consolidate data on national policy mixes in the residential energy efficiency sector. The results of the principal component analysis demonstrate a notable degree of heterogeneity in policy mix design across European countries. Comprehensive policy mixes often seek to achieve a balance between strong technology-push and demand-pull measures, while soft and systemic instruments are less prominent. An analysis of the sequencing of policy instruments reveals that a number of leading countries tend to favour either technology-push measures or demand-pull measures, predominantly. Nevertheless, the anticipated shift from a technology-push to a demand-pull orientation is not corroborated by the evidence. The report highlights the necessity for consolidated policy data related to sustainability transitions as a prerequisite for evaluating the impacts of policy mix on eco-innovation.