That standard is not applied to many things. There are many cases where it makes sense to use a technology that uses more energy than technically feasible because it offers other benefits. For example, using java instead of assembly.

This is actually a core principle in Ethereums community. It's called minimum viable issuance. Ethereum 2.0 is specifically designed with this principle in mind. No one wants to overpay or underpay for security, so market forces decide what level of issuance and risk is acceptable.