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Indicators for environmentally sustainable household consumption

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  • Sylvia Lorek, Joachim H. Spangenberg

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to identify those areas of consumption in which private households can make significant contributions to environmental sustainability, and to present a transparent and comprehensive set of indicators for them. The analysis of the environmental impacts of households focuses on consumption clusters that allow different life spheres of private households to be distinguished. Two criteria guided the investigation of the relevance of these clusters: (i) the environmental significance of the consumption cluster in terms of resource consumption, and (ii) the potential influence of households compared with other actors. Resource consumption was chosen as a simplified but reliable representation of environmental pressure dynamics. Growing resource consumption goes together with growing environmental pressures and vice versa, although not necessarily proportionally. The key resources analysed are energy and material consumption, and land use. Based on this analysis, three consumption clusters were identified as priority fields for action by households: construction and housing, food/nutrition and transport (in this order). All other consumption clusters can be considered environmentally marginal, providing combined saving potentials of less than 10% of the total resource consumption. Finally, from a description of the respective roles of actors based on anecdotal evidence, a semi-quantitative "actor matrix" is presented, indicating the relative influence of different actors in each consumption cluster.

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvia Lorek, Joachim H. Spangenberg, 2001. "Indicators for environmentally sustainable household consumption," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(1), pages 101-120.
  • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijsusd:v:4:y:2001:i:1:p:101-120
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    1. repec:elg:eechap:15612_1 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Daniels, Peter L., 2010. "Climate change, economics and Buddhism -- Part 2: New views and practices for sustainable world economies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 962-972, March.
    3. Uba, Chijioke Dike & Chatzidakis, Andreas, 2016. "Understanding engagement and disengagement from pro-environmental behaviour: The role of neutralization and affirmation techniques in maintaining persistence in and desistance from car use," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 278-294.
    4. Spangenberg, Joachim H. & Omann, Ines & Hinterberger, Friedrich, 2002. "Sustainable growth criteria: Minimum benchmarks and scenarios for employment and the environment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 429-443, September.
    5. Dai, Feng & Li, Pengpeng & Liang, Ling, 2016. "Long-term economic growth under environmental pressure: An optimal path," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 15-24.
    6. Spangenberg, Joachim H. & Lorek, Sylvia, 2002. "Environmentally sustainable household consumption: from aggregate environmental pressures to priority fields of action," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2-3), pages 127-140, December.
    7. Lorek, Sylvia & Spangenberg, Joachim H., 2019. "Energy sufficiency through social innovation in housing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 287-294.
    8. Erling Holden & Ingrid T. Norland, 2005. "Three Challenges for the Compact City as a Sustainable Urban Form: Household Consumption of Energy and Transport in Eight Residential Areas in the Greater Oslo Region," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 42(12), pages 2145-2166, November.
    9. Halme, Minna & Jasch, Christine & Scharp, Michael, 2004. "Sustainable homeservices? Toward household services that enhance ecological, social and economic sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1-2), pages 125-138, November.
    10. Spangenberg, Joachim H., 2007. "Biodiversity pressure and the driving forces behind," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 146-158, February.
    11. Bockermann, Andreas & Meyer, Bernd & Omann, Ines & Spangenberg, Joachim H., 2005. "Modelling sustainability: Comparing an econometric (PANTA RHEI) and a systems dynamics model (SuE)," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 189-210, March.

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