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To cool a sweltering earth: Does energy efficiency improvement offset the climate impacts of lifestyle?

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  • Adua, Lazarus

Abstract

As technical efficiency improvement in energy use remains a touchstone measure to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there is substantial concern about whether this approach can offset the large and expanding impacts of human actions. Critics contend that without adjustments to the prevailing consumptive lifestyle, energy efficiency improvement will generate only token reductions in GHG emissions. I address this concern by examining the extent to which technical efficiency improvement in energy use offsets the impacts of housing-related lifestyle on GHG emissions. I build from two perspectives, the physical-technical-economic models that consider energy efficiency improvement as a potent strategy to curb residential energy consumption, and the lifestyle and social-behavioral approach, which questions this view. The analyses reveal consistent positive relationship between lifestyle and energy consumption. The results also indicate that energy efficiency improvement has mixed effects on energy consumption. In fact, model-based figures show that technical efficiency improvement in energy use leads to slightly higher energy consumption if it is not accompanied by adjustments to lifestyle.

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  • Adua, Lazarus, 2010. "To cool a sweltering earth: Does energy efficiency improvement offset the climate impacts of lifestyle?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5719-5732, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:38:y:2010:i:10:p:5719-5732
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    Cited by:

    1. Adua, Lazarus, 2022. "Super polluters and carbon emissions: Spotlighting how higher-income and wealthier households disproportionately despoil our atmospheric commons," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    2. Zhao Ding Tao & Guo Tao & Hong Jin & Xu Yi & Fan Jin, 2014. "Trends and Spatial Distribution of Embedded Carbon Footprints in China," Energy & Environment, , vol. 25(5), pages 915-930, July.
    3. Frank Adusah-Poku & Samuel Adams & Kwame Adjei-Mantey, 2023. "Does the gender of the household head affect household energy choice in Ghana? An empirical analysis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6049-6070, July.
    4. Raissi, Shiva & Reames, Tony G., 2020. "“If we had a little more flexibility.” perceptions of programmatic challenges and opportunities implementing government-funded low-income energy efficiency programs," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    5. Wilson, Caroline, 2014. "Evaluating communication to optimise consumer-directed energy efficiency interventions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 300-310.

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