Efficiency is not the same as negative growth.
There are actual, real-life proponents of policies that would have us shrink our economies and decrease the standard of living.
That's not because they hate energy but because they think it's not worth to tolerate the negatives associated with production of energy.
Energy production often impacts negatively the surroundings of the production area and that's why even those who boast for energy production at all cost are also NIMBY folks. Notice how wealthy prefer to live away from energy production sites, in prestine environment? turns out the poor and the middle class want that too.
Re:All poverty is energy poverty
by ZeroGravitas on Monday September 05, 2022 @03:45PM
(#32728523)
Yes, those that would rather subsidize fossil fuels than efficiency and cheap renewables. They're suprisingly prominent and running many major economies.
Nothing naive about it, there are costs associated with production of energy and spending less energy is simply about lowering the associated costs.
Europe being big on energy savings and efficiency is now better off compared to what would have had happened if they lost the Russian energy without the achieved efficiencies.