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Sufficiency in energy scenario studies: Taking the potential benefits of lifestyle changes into account

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  • Samadi, Sascha
  • Gröne, Marie-Christine
  • Schneidewind, Uwe
  • Luhmann, Hans-Jochen
  • Venjakob, Johannes
  • Best, Benjamin

Abstract

In recent years, a number of energy scenario studies which aim to advise policy makers on appropriate energy policy measures have been developed. These studies highlight changes required to achieve a future energy system that is in line with public policy goals such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions and an affordable energy supply. We argue that behavioural changes towards energy-sufficient lifestyles have considerable potential to contribute to public policy goals and may even be indispensable for achieving some of these goals. This potential should, therefore, be reflected in scenario studies aiming to provide comprehensive advice to policy makers. We analyse the role that energy-sufficient lifestyles play in prominent recent global energy scenario studies and find that these studies largely ignore the potential of possible behavioural changes towards energy-sufficient lifestyles. We also describe how such changes have been considered in several other scenario studies, in order to derive recommendations for the future development of global energy scenarios. We conclude that the inclusion of lifestyle changes in energy scenarios is both possible and useful. Based on our findings, we present some general advice for energy scenario developers on how to better integrate sufficiency into future energy scenario studies in a quantitative manner.

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  • Samadi, Sascha & Gröne, Marie-Christine & Schneidewind, Uwe & Luhmann, Hans-Jochen & Venjakob, Johannes & Best, Benjamin, 2017. "Sufficiency in energy scenario studies: Taking the potential benefits of lifestyle changes into account," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 126-134.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:124:y:2017:i:c:p:126-134
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2016.09.013
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    4. Zell-Ziegler, Carina & Thema, Johannes & Best, Benjamin & Wiese, Frauke & Lage, Jonas & Schmidt, Annika & Toulouse, Edouard & Stagl, Sigrid, 2021. "Enough? The role of sufficiency in European energy and climate plans," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
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    12. Baumgartner, Anne & Krysiak, Frank C. & Kuhlmey, Florian, 2022. "Sufficiency without regret," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
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    14. Campos, Inês & Korsnes, Marius & Labanca, Nicola & Bertoldi, Paolo, 2024. "Can renewable energy prosumerism cater for sufficiency and inclusion?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    15. Josephine Tröger & Marlis C. Wullenkord & Clara Barthels & Rubina Steller, 2021. "Can Reflective Diary-Writing Increase Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption? A Longitudinal Intervention Addressing the Role of Basic Psychological Needs, Subjective Well-Being, and Time Affluence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    16. Viktorija Bobinaite & Inga Konstantinaviciute & Arvydas Galinis & Mária Bartek-Lesi & Viktor Rácz & Bettina Dézsi, 2022. "Energy Sufficiency in the Household Sector of Lithuania and Hungary: The Case of Heated Floor Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    17. Stephan Schwarzinger & David Neil Bird & Tomas Moe Skjølsvold, 2019. "Identifying Consumer Lifestyles through Their Energy Impacts: Transforming Social Science Data into Policy-Relevant Group-Level Knowledge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-22, November.
    18. Dirk-Jan van de Ven & Mikel González-Eguino & Iñaki Arto, 2018. "The potential of behavioural change for climate change mitigation: a case study for the European Union," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 853-886, August.
    19. Zhu, Lin & Cunningham, Scott W., 2022. "Unveiling the knowledge structure of technological forecasting and social change (1969–2020) through an NMF-based hierarchical topic model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    20. STANKUNIENE Gintare, 2021. "Energy Saving in Households: A Systematic Literature Review," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bucharest Economic Academy, issue 01, March.

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