News: 20 February 2023

Following the communication campaign on the low-carbon lifestlye options, here we are starting a new one on the 7 key structures enabling 1.5° lifestyles!

Since the EU 1.5°Lifestyles project clearly articulates where limited agency by households requires structural changes, the 7 most impactful structures were identified through a systematic literature review, a Delphi ranking process, and a large number of expert interviews. Findings show that transforming these seven structures is central for enabling the mainstreaming of 1.5-degree lifestyles:

• Overcoming the economic growth paradigm institutionalised in social relations, political priorities and valuations (creating acceptance for some industries and technologies to vanish or shrink and controlling this transformation)

• Creating consistent, predictable, integrated policies; where necessary, considering bans/strong disincentives on extremely polluting goods/services & advertising (private jets/space travel, frequent flying, multiple home ownership, SUVs); do not focus on behaviour of individuals alone for lifestyle change

• Overcoming systematic influence of vested interests, incl. fossil-fuel incumbency (backed by powerful political actors/nat. geopol. interests and underlying bus. models),  retail corporations (esp. in food sector), private media

• Giving economic incentives/internalization of environmental costs in prices (eco-social taxation/subsidies, e.g. lower tax on labour, higher tax on emissions/energy use); (reliable regulation for) private investment in sustainable solutions

• Strengthening alternative narratives and measurements of (individual and collective) wellbeing and a good life (incl. notions of ideal home, good food…)

• Overcoming inequity in resources, resource use and power

• Integration of information and skills about sustainable lifestyles in school curricula and education

In order to shed some light on the links between individual behaviour and structural changes, the project team will provide some information and examples how one lifestyle option can connect to certain structures and how structures can influence the individual actions.

If you are interested, do not hesitate to visit & follow the social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) of the project or use the “Ask the Experts” section in case of any questions!

To read more about the structures and the methodology used to identify them, please visit the project website.