The bare necessities: How much household carbon do we really need?
Wednesday 1 September 2010
Responding to climate change doesn’t have to be painful. Researchers in RESOLVE (the Research group on Lifestyles, Values and the Environment) at the University of Surrey have shown that substantial reductions in carbon emissions could be achieved while preserving a decent standard of life.
The consumption patterns of Western nations are unsustainable. But only limited attempts have been made to restrain material throughput. “Given the need for ‘deep’ cuts in carbon emissions, consumption restraint may be a perfectly legitimate response. Our work indicates how much could be achieved this way,” said Dr Angela Druckman, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Energy & Climate Change Mitigation at Surrey, and lead author of the study.
The study carried out by Dr Angela Druckman and Professor Tim Jackson develops a Reduced Consumption Scenario for the UK, constructed by assuming that all households achieve a specific ‘minimum income standard’ deemed to provide a decent life. This income standard is taken from a previous study for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and includes not only subsistence commodities such as food, warmth and shelter but also the means to participate effectively in society.
Druckman and Jackson used the Surrey Environmental Lifestyle MApping (SELMA) model to calculate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions required in the production and distribution of all goods and services purchased according to these budgets. The results show that average household GHG emissions in the UK would be 37% lower in the Reduced Consumption Scenario than they are currently.
“The findings are fascinating,” said Professor Jackson who runs the RESOLVE team and co-authored the study. “They show how important it is to work towards a society less focused on status-driven consumerism, one that provides capabilities for people to flourish in less materialistic ways.”
The authors argue for measures to strengthen social participation and renew a sense of common citizenship and purpose. This task needs strong policy leadership and significant investment. But if supported by specific structural changes, the analysis suggests that significant reductions in GHG emissions could be achieved without jeopardising social well-being.
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