Another reason for energy benchmarking can be a government mandate. Various government agencies around the world have been mandating energy benchmark programs to drive conservation and energy consumption improvement efforts. Although the simple economic justification of energy improvement projects should make the projects sufficiently attractive to producers, energy has become politicized globally for various reasons. Some governments consider that energy reductions, even beyond those dictated by normal economic returns, are an important goal for society. Mandated industrial energy benchmark programs are the result.