Studying Well-being and its Environmental Impacts: A Case Study of Minimum Income Receivers in Finland

Hirvilammi, Tuuli; Laakso, Senja; Lettenmeier, Michael; Lähteenoja, Satu

doi:10.1080/19452829.2012.747490

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…These results show that for reducing carbon footprints of households, high-footprint consumer segments in particular should be addressed, and low-footprint households should not be the first ones to be made responsible for mitigation efforts. This implication is in line with the previous studies on the footprints of low-income household segments [15,16,26].…”

Section: The Estimated Carbon Footprints Of Japanese Householdssupporting

confidence: 93%

“…An existing study proposed a framework of consumer lifestyles approach that consists of (i) external environmental variables such as culture and technology, (ii) individual determinants such as attitudes, beliefs, and psychological factors, (iii) household characteristics such as household size, income, and location, (iv) consumer choices or purchases, and (v) consequences of resource use and environmental impacts [14]. As lifestyles of citizens vary within, and across countries, analyzing lifestyles and carbon footprints at the national and sub-national levels is crucial [10,16]. This paper addresses the latter, and examines the characteristics of consumer lifestyles using household survey microdata by focusing on household characteristics, patterns of consumer choices, as well as their relationship with environmental impacts in the aforementioned consumer lifestyles framework.Studies linking household expenditure survey microdata to environmentally extended input-output analysis (EEIOA) have identified some of the major determinants of high-carbon households and revealed a large variation of footprints among different groups of a population.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Carbon Footprints and Consumer Lifestyles: An Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Gap Analysis by Consumer Segment in Japan

et al. 2019

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Addressing the prevailing mode of high-carbon lifestyles is crucial for the transition towards a net-zero carbon society. Existing studies fail to fully investigate the underlining factors of unsustainable lifestyles beyond individual determinants nor consider the gaps between current footprints and reduction targets. This study examines latent lifestyle factors related to carbon footprints and analyzes gaps between decarbonization targets and current lifestyles of major consumer segments through exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis. As a case study on Japanese households, it estimates carbon footprints of over 47,000 households using expenditure survey microdata, and identifies high-carbon lifestyle factors and consumer segments by multivariate regression analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. Income, savings, family composition, house size and type, ownership of durables and automobiles, and work style were confirmed as determinants of high-footprint Japanese households, with eight lifestyles factors, including long-distance leisure, materialistic consumption, and meat-rich diets, identified as the main contributory factors. The study revealed a five-fold difference between lowest and highest footprint segments, with all segments overshooting the 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets. The findings imply the urgent need for policies tailored to diverse consumer segments and to address the underlying causes of high-carbon lifestyles especially of high-carbon segments.Sustainability 2019, 11, 5983 2 of 25 to global GHG emissions-the average carbon footprint is almost 2.7 times larger than the global average [3]. A further study shows that over half of the average Japanese household carbon footprint results from indirect emissions induced through the purchase of products and services, with less than half caused by direct emissions such as from energy use at home [4].Transitioning towards sustainable lifestyles has been a major focal point of global sustainability policy agenda over the past few decades. The necessity for "encourage[ing] sustainable consumption patterns and lifestyles" was recognized in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in 1992 [5]. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted targets to "ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature" and to "ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote . . . sustainable lifestyles," among other issues [6]. In the context of the climate change policy, transitioning to sustainable lifestyles has also been adopted as part of the strategies towards net-zero carbon societies. The IPCC's Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 • C points out that "changes in human behavior and lifestyles are enabling conditions that enhance the feasibility of mitigation and adaptation options for 1.5 • C-consistent systems transitions," [7]. The European Long-term Strategic Vision for cl...

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Section: The Estimated Carbon Footprints Of Japanese Householdssupporting

confidence: 93%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon Footprints and Consumer Lifestyles: An Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Gap Analysis by Consumer Segment in Japan

et al. 2019

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“…In the UK and other rich countries, the emissions of the minimum consumption bundle exceed those of the maximum sustainable consumption bundle-and by more than three times! Studies in other countries replicate this finding: in Finland, people receiving minimum income benefits exceed ecologically sustainable lifestyles by a wide margin [37]. This is to be expected and backs up the Swedish modelling in figure 1: C2 policies complement but do not replace C1 policies.…”

Section: Defining Sustainable Necessities In Practicementioning

confidence: 62%

Recomposing consumption: defining necessities for sustainable and equitable well-being

Gough¹

2017

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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This paper focuses on consumption in the affluent world and the resulting level, composition and distribution of consumption-based emissions. It argues that public policy should foster the recomposition of consumption, while not disadvantaging poorer groups in the population. To combine these two imperatives entails making a distinction between goods and services that are necessary for a basic level of well-being, and those that are surplus to this requirement. The argument proceeds in six stages. First, the paper outlines a theory of universal need, as an alternative conception of well-being to consumer preference satisfaction. Second, it proposes a dual strategy methodology for identifying need satisfiers or necessities in a given social context. Then, it applies this methodology to identify a minimum bundle of necessary consumption items in the UK and speculates how it might be used to identify a maximum bundle for sustainable consumption. The next part looks at corporate barriers and structural obstacles in the path of sustainable consumption. The following part reveals a further problem: mitigation policies can result in perverse distributional outcomes when operating in contexts of great inequality. The final section suggests four ecosocial public policies that would simultaneously advance sustainable and equitable consumption in rich nations.This article is part of the themed issue 'Material demand reduction'.

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“…Research has demonstrated how households are able to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of their consumption, at least temporarily (Laakso, 2017). On the other hand, studies also show how and where the greatest impediments lie to achieving a sustainable level by individual actions alone (Hirvilammi et al, 2013). The challenge is thus to transform practices-as-entities: shared patterns of consumption shaped by collective rules, infrastructures and systems of provision.…”

Section: Where Do We Stand In Terms Of Moving Towards More Sustainablmentioning

confidence: 99%

Editing out unsustainability from consumption: From information provision to nudging and social practice theory

Heiskanen¹,

Laakso²

2019

A Research Agenda for Sustainable Consumption Governance

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Studying Well-being and its Environmental Impacts: A Case Study of Minimum Income Receivers in Finland

Cited by 18 publications

References 33 publications

Carbon Footprints and Consumer Lifestyles: An Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Gap Analysis by Consumer Segment in Japan

Carbon Footprints and Consumer Lifestyles: An Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Gap Analysis by Consumer Segment in Japan

Recomposing consumption: defining necessities for sustainable and equitable well-being

Editing out unsustainability from consumption: From information provision to nudging and social practice theory

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