Effective action is required at all levels of society in order to enable a successful sustainability transition.
The EU 1.5° Lifestyles Consortium – a group of universities, organisations and research institutes from Germany, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, is working to mainstream 1.5-degree lifestyles. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project is inspired by and builds on the IPCC’s conclusion from the 2018 Special Report on Global Warming – that limiting global temperature increases requires demand-side actions and lifestyle changes.
The project also recognises the shortcomings of previous attempts with a demand-side approach, often narrowly focused on changes made by individuals. Policy recommendations that address individual behaviour without engaging with the structures that create these unsustainable lifestyles continually fail to curb emissions in line with the goal of a 1.5° future.
On December 11, the EU1.5° Lifestyles Consortium hosted workshops with policymakers and stakeholders in Brussels to present, discuss, and co-develop policy solutions that enable and promote sustainable lifestyles in Europe. Alongside these workshops, the Consortium published a collection of six policy briefs outlining recommendations and strategies to support lifestyle changes. These briefs address key policy areas including reducing consumption, countering rebound effects, designing just welfare systems, and structural change.
The overarching strategies proposed within these briefs are
- Making eco-social justice a cornerstone of goal setting, communication, and policy implementation
- Creating and strengthening broad actor coalitions
- Communicating effectively in terms of content, channels, and narratives
- Enabling shared, forward-looking responsibility
Citizens must be at the centre of our pursuit of a 1.5-degree world, acting in their role as responsible citizens more than as utility-maximising consumers. But the bold actions of policy makers and leaders are critical in making climate-friendly lifestyle options accessible for the majority of Europeans.
————————————
The EU1.5-Degree Lifestyles Policy Briefs are available now.
