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Sufficiency Initiatives and Municipalities: Opportunities and Limitations for Bringing People and Politics Together

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Buschka

    (Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Germany)

  • Philipp Schepelmann

    (Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Germany)

  • Fiona Breucker

    (Jacques Delors Institute, France)

  • Jenny Kurwan

    (Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Germany)

Abstract

This article examines the potential and challenges of sufficiency initiatives within the urban environment, focusing on their ability to bring people and politics together. Drawing on research from the EU-funded “FULFILL” project, which includes surveys, interviews and case studies in five EU Member States, this study explores the role of civil society initiatives in fostering sufficiency—a concept that advocates for meeting human needs within planetary boundaries by altering lifestyles, societal norms, and regulatory frameworks. Sufficiency initiatives find themselves in a precarious position against a backdrop of growth-oriented urban development and face barriers such as lack of resources, legal and regulatory challenges, measurement difficulties, and inertia of municipalities. However, the study also identifies examples of fruitful cooperation between municipalities and initiatives and identifies enablers for successful collaboration, including aligned goals, engaged individuals, and effective communication. By providing an outlook for short-, mid-, and long-term governance perspectives, this article argues for strategic niche management in the short term, development of metrics for sufficiency in the medium term, and a systemic shift in urban dynamics in the long term. As urban sufficiency initiatives offer services and infrastructure to promote sustainable living, they are critical players in guiding cities towards ecological and social resilience. This article contributes to the discourse on urban sustainability by highlighting the importance of municipalities in nurturing sufficiency initiatives that can drive social well-being and environmental stewardship.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Buschka & Philipp Schepelmann & Fiona Breucker & Jenny Kurwan, 2024. "Sufficiency Initiatives and Municipalities: Opportunities and Limitations for Bringing People and Politics Together," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v9:y:2024:a:7960
    DOI: 10.17645/up.7960
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vita, Gibran & Lundström, Johan R. & Hertwich, Edgar G. & Quist, Jaco & Ivanova, Diana & Stadler, Konstantin & Wood, Richard, 2019. "The Environmental Impact of Green Consumption and Sufficiency Lifestyles Scenarios in Europe: Connecting Local Sustainability Visions to Global Consequences," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Lorek, Sylvia & Spangenberg, Joachim H., 2019. "Energy sufficiency through social innovation in housing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 287-294.
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