First international conference on Economic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equ... more First international conference on Economic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris, April 18-19th 2008 ... Author: Fabrice Flipo, philosopher, associate professor at TELECOM & Management SudParis, 9 rue Charles Fourier, 91011 Evry.
This chapter elaborates on sustainable consumption and provides key arguments from the sustainabl... more This chapter elaborates on sustainable consumption and provides key arguments from the sustainable consumption literature. It introduces ‘environmental space’ as one of the early concepts which embedded sustainable consumption within natural and social boundaries. It explains why a floor as well as a ceiling for the environmental space has to be considered and reflects on the space itself, its size and how to share it. Various possible paths of transition to reach the environmental space from a position of overconsumption as well as from underconsumption are described and linked to various schools of thought in sustainability research. Specific emphasis is given to a more detailed analysis of the two concepts of ‘green growth’ and ‘de-growth’. Relating these concepts to sustainable consumption research and politics, the chapter distinguishes between strong and weak sustainable consumption and outlines some enabling mechanisms for sustainable consumption.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Apr 6, 2022
Aktuell überschlagen sich Vorschläge, wie auf den Krieg in der Ukraine energiepolitisch zu reagie... more Aktuell überschlagen sich Vorschläge, wie auf den Krieg in der Ukraine energiepolitisch zu reagieren ist. Ein Schlüsselprinzip rückt dabei erst langsam ins öffentliche Bewusstsein: Energiesuffizienz. Das bedeutet, den Bedarf an Energie zu senken. Energiesuffizienz senkt Kosten, reduziert den Bedarf an Zukäufen, macht energiepolitisch unabhängiger und ist klimapolitisch hilfreich. Sie muss jetzt zu einem zentralen Prinzip politischen Handelns werden. Als Personen aus Wissenschaft und Zivilgesellschaft richten wir uns mit diesen Thesen an Politik, Unternehmen und an alle Bürgerinnen und Bürger. Krieg in der Ukraine: Energiepolitik als Sicherheitspolitik Der Krieg in der Ukraine verändert in rasender Geschwindigkeit die Koordinaten der Politik. Drängende Fragen lauten: Ist ein Öl-, Gas-oder Kohleembargo gegen Russland möglich, ohne die Gesellschaft zu destabilisieren? Was passiert, wenn Russland von sich aus die Lieferungen stoppt? Wie soll auf die rapide steigenden Energiepreise reagiert werden? Die öffentlich diskutierten (Teil-)Antworten sind vielstimmig. Im Mittelpunkt standen lange die kurzfristige Abfederung sozialer Härten, Verträge mit zusätzlichen Lieferländern und eine größere Vielfalt der Energiequellen: Schnellerer Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien, aber auch Atomkraft, Kohle oder Fracking-Gas. Erst langsam rückt ins Bewusstsein, was wir als Gesellschaft tun können, um weniger Energie zu verbrauchenund überhaupt zu benötigen. Energiesuffizienzden Energiebedarf senken Der Fachbegriff dafür lautet Energiesuffizienz. Kurzfristig gelingt sie durch Verhaltensänderungen, einfache technische Maßnahmen oder Ordnungsrecht. Mittelfristig braucht sie Investitionen in Technik und Infrastrukturen, die das Energiesparen ermöglichen. Dazu eine Abkehr von energieintensiven Lebensstilen. Die Potenziale dafür sind bei weitem nicht ausgeschöpft. Einige Beispiele sind:
Overvalued and Underestimated. Veblen’s Contribution to the Analysis of (un-)Sustainable Consumption
European Journal of Economic and Social Systems, 2014
Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption is often cited to explain why consumption habits in o... more Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption is often cited to explain why consumption habits in our consumer societies tend to be unsustainable and ever increasing. However, much more than blaming individual consumption habits Veblen sharply analyzed quite some of the societal and economic forces which drive the framework conditions for unsustainable consumption: the vested interests and the absentee ownership. The paper follows the path Veblen’s thoughts have taken trough economic and social literature over the last centuryand highlights how the actual sustainable consumption debate could make better use of Veblen’s insights e.g. in requesting the constitutive institutions for property. Opportunities for Strong Sustainable Consumption obviously presuppose radical changes, social innovations and thinking out of the box.
has been raising the alarm for more than a decade. A major study-'2020. The climate turning point... more has been raising the alarm for more than a decade. A major study-'2020. The climate turning point'provided evidence that the more time passes, the more drastic the turnaround in current unsustainable trends will need to be (Revill et al., 2017). The three years between 2017 and 2020 have been identified as crucial to safeguarding our climate (Figueres et al., 2017). And yet, even these analyses neglect the important link to consumption, focusing on six milestones: a global transition to renewable energy sources, zero emission transport, decarbonized infrastructure, land restoration to replace deforestation, decarbonized heavy industry, and strong investment in climate action by the finance sector. These milestones downplay the fact that income and associated consumption are the primary greenhouse gas (GHG) emission drivers and that greater infrastructure investment requires a significant share of the available carbon budget. Therefore, political action plans also have to include policies aimed at actively reducing aggregate consumption volumes and their associated energy and material use (Alfredsson et al., 2018). 1 On the international political agenda, sustainable consumption has been considered under the acronym SCP (sustainable consumption and production); first during the Marrakech Process (United Nations Environment Programme/United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2008) and through the 10-Year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), since 2012, both programmes under the leadership of United Nations Environment Programme. Contemporaneously, we note societal debates on the ecological effects of consumption and associated shifts in mindsets (Cohen, 2013). Indeed, there are many positive trends in sustainable consumption today. The general increase in the awareness of climate change and other sustainability issues is palpable, not least due to the massive communication campaigns around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015b). The media has also given some attention to the widening of economic disparity and resulting increases in inequity (mainly within countries). Furthermore, there is a clear increase in the consump
Experience shows that energy savings through energy efficiency measures are partly compensated by... more Experience shows that energy savings through energy efficiency measures are partly compensated by income growth, and partly by rebound effects. Therefore to be effective, efficiency measures have to be embedded in a concept of sufficiency which strives for limits and absolute reduction of energy consumption. While the sufficiency concept is not new, it only recently gained attention in the field of housing. This paper provides a basis for broader and more informed debates in policy and research on the potential of sufficiency considerations to contribute to the overall reduction of energy consumption in the residential sector. It recommends shifting the attention from energy consumption of buildings towards a concept of sustainable homes in which e.g. the size of the living area plays a crucial role. A further important aspect is the possibility to fulfil other basic needs like the provision with food, recreation and social contacts in the nearby environment. The paper describes first examples of housing projects guided by sufficiency criteria, depicts the potential roles of different actor groups and points towards some general policy recommendations.
Consumers and energy efficiency. Country Report for Italy. An inventory of policies, business and civil society initiatives, focusing on heating, hot water and the use of electricity
Consumers and energy efficiency. Country Report for Hungary. An inventory of policies, business and civil initiatives at the national level, focusing on heating, hot water and the use of electricity
Country Report United Kingdom. An inventory of policies, business and civil society initiatives, focusing on heating, hot water and the use of electricity. EUFORIE – European Futures for Energy Efficiency
Based on the analysis how the political and scientific discourses on Sustainable Consumption deve... more Based on the analysis how the political and scientific discourses on Sustainable Consumption developed during the last two decades the paper develops the concept of Strong Sustainable Consumption Governance. Next to an emphasis that Sustainable Consumption has to consider resource consumption (including the available sink capacity of the ecosystem) it highlights their use and distribution among the Earth’s population, and considers their contribution to human well-being. For the lifestyles of the global consumer class this implies giving specific attention to the levels and patterns of consumption. The paper questions the actual political SCP debate, its strong reliance on Sustainable Consumer Procurement, and the belief that green economic growth can cure all our problems. Instead it suggests other ways to go. To stimulate public debate it seems useful to apply a carrot and stick strategy. The stick in this case is to create a sense of urgency for the global environmental and socia...
First international conference on Economic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equ... more First international conference on Economic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris, April 18-19th 2008 ... Author: Fabrice Flipo, philosopher, associate professor at TELECOM & Management SudParis, 9 rue Charles Fourier, 91011 Evry.
This chapter elaborates on sustainable consumption and provides key arguments from the sustainabl... more This chapter elaborates on sustainable consumption and provides key arguments from the sustainable consumption literature. It introduces ‘environmental space’ as one of the early concepts which embedded sustainable consumption within natural and social boundaries. It explains why a floor as well as a ceiling for the environmental space has to be considered and reflects on the space itself, its size and how to share it. Various possible paths of transition to reach the environmental space from a position of overconsumption as well as from underconsumption are described and linked to various schools of thought in sustainability research. Specific emphasis is given to a more detailed analysis of the two concepts of ‘green growth’ and ‘de-growth’. Relating these concepts to sustainable consumption research and politics, the chapter distinguishes between strong and weak sustainable consumption and outlines some enabling mechanisms for sustainable consumption.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Apr 6, 2022
Aktuell überschlagen sich Vorschläge, wie auf den Krieg in der Ukraine energiepolitisch zu reagie... more Aktuell überschlagen sich Vorschläge, wie auf den Krieg in der Ukraine energiepolitisch zu reagieren ist. Ein Schlüsselprinzip rückt dabei erst langsam ins öffentliche Bewusstsein: Energiesuffizienz. Das bedeutet, den Bedarf an Energie zu senken. Energiesuffizienz senkt Kosten, reduziert den Bedarf an Zukäufen, macht energiepolitisch unabhängiger und ist klimapolitisch hilfreich. Sie muss jetzt zu einem zentralen Prinzip politischen Handelns werden. Als Personen aus Wissenschaft und Zivilgesellschaft richten wir uns mit diesen Thesen an Politik, Unternehmen und an alle Bürgerinnen und Bürger. Krieg in der Ukraine: Energiepolitik als Sicherheitspolitik Der Krieg in der Ukraine verändert in rasender Geschwindigkeit die Koordinaten der Politik. Drängende Fragen lauten: Ist ein Öl-, Gas-oder Kohleembargo gegen Russland möglich, ohne die Gesellschaft zu destabilisieren? Was passiert, wenn Russland von sich aus die Lieferungen stoppt? Wie soll auf die rapide steigenden Energiepreise reagiert werden? Die öffentlich diskutierten (Teil-)Antworten sind vielstimmig. Im Mittelpunkt standen lange die kurzfristige Abfederung sozialer Härten, Verträge mit zusätzlichen Lieferländern und eine größere Vielfalt der Energiequellen: Schnellerer Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien, aber auch Atomkraft, Kohle oder Fracking-Gas. Erst langsam rückt ins Bewusstsein, was wir als Gesellschaft tun können, um weniger Energie zu verbrauchenund überhaupt zu benötigen. Energiesuffizienzden Energiebedarf senken Der Fachbegriff dafür lautet Energiesuffizienz. Kurzfristig gelingt sie durch Verhaltensänderungen, einfache technische Maßnahmen oder Ordnungsrecht. Mittelfristig braucht sie Investitionen in Technik und Infrastrukturen, die das Energiesparen ermöglichen. Dazu eine Abkehr von energieintensiven Lebensstilen. Die Potenziale dafür sind bei weitem nicht ausgeschöpft. Einige Beispiele sind:
Overvalued and Underestimated. Veblen’s Contribution to the Analysis of (un-)Sustainable Consumption
European Journal of Economic and Social Systems, 2014
Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption is often cited to explain why consumption habits in o... more Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption is often cited to explain why consumption habits in our consumer societies tend to be unsustainable and ever increasing. However, much more than blaming individual consumption habits Veblen sharply analyzed quite some of the societal and economic forces which drive the framework conditions for unsustainable consumption: the vested interests and the absentee ownership. The paper follows the path Veblen’s thoughts have taken trough economic and social literature over the last centuryand highlights how the actual sustainable consumption debate could make better use of Veblen’s insights e.g. in requesting the constitutive institutions for property. Opportunities for Strong Sustainable Consumption obviously presuppose radical changes, social innovations and thinking out of the box.
has been raising the alarm for more than a decade. A major study-'2020. The climate turning point... more has been raising the alarm for more than a decade. A major study-'2020. The climate turning point'provided evidence that the more time passes, the more drastic the turnaround in current unsustainable trends will need to be (Revill et al., 2017). The three years between 2017 and 2020 have been identified as crucial to safeguarding our climate (Figueres et al., 2017). And yet, even these analyses neglect the important link to consumption, focusing on six milestones: a global transition to renewable energy sources, zero emission transport, decarbonized infrastructure, land restoration to replace deforestation, decarbonized heavy industry, and strong investment in climate action by the finance sector. These milestones downplay the fact that income and associated consumption are the primary greenhouse gas (GHG) emission drivers and that greater infrastructure investment requires a significant share of the available carbon budget. Therefore, political action plans also have to include policies aimed at actively reducing aggregate consumption volumes and their associated energy and material use (Alfredsson et al., 2018). 1 On the international political agenda, sustainable consumption has been considered under the acronym SCP (sustainable consumption and production); first during the Marrakech Process (United Nations Environment Programme/United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2008) and through the 10-Year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), since 2012, both programmes under the leadership of United Nations Environment Programme. Contemporaneously, we note societal debates on the ecological effects of consumption and associated shifts in mindsets (Cohen, 2013). Indeed, there are many positive trends in sustainable consumption today. The general increase in the awareness of climate change and other sustainability issues is palpable, not least due to the massive communication campaigns around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015b). The media has also given some attention to the widening of economic disparity and resulting increases in inequity (mainly within countries). Furthermore, there is a clear increase in the consump
Experience shows that energy savings through energy efficiency measures are partly compensated by... more Experience shows that energy savings through energy efficiency measures are partly compensated by income growth, and partly by rebound effects. Therefore to be effective, efficiency measures have to be embedded in a concept of sufficiency which strives for limits and absolute reduction of energy consumption. While the sufficiency concept is not new, it only recently gained attention in the field of housing. This paper provides a basis for broader and more informed debates in policy and research on the potential of sufficiency considerations to contribute to the overall reduction of energy consumption in the residential sector. It recommends shifting the attention from energy consumption of buildings towards a concept of sustainable homes in which e.g. the size of the living area plays a crucial role. A further important aspect is the possibility to fulfil other basic needs like the provision with food, recreation and social contacts in the nearby environment. The paper describes first examples of housing projects guided by sufficiency criteria, depicts the potential roles of different actor groups and points towards some general policy recommendations.
Consumers and energy efficiency. Country Report for Italy. An inventory of policies, business and civil society initiatives, focusing on heating, hot water and the use of electricity
Consumers and energy efficiency. Country Report for Hungary. An inventory of policies, business and civil initiatives at the national level, focusing on heating, hot water and the use of electricity
Country Report United Kingdom. An inventory of policies, business and civil society initiatives, focusing on heating, hot water and the use of electricity. EUFORIE – European Futures for Energy Efficiency
Based on the analysis how the political and scientific discourses on Sustainable Consumption deve... more Based on the analysis how the political and scientific discourses on Sustainable Consumption developed during the last two decades the paper develops the concept of Strong Sustainable Consumption Governance. Next to an emphasis that Sustainable Consumption has to consider resource consumption (including the available sink capacity of the ecosystem) it highlights their use and distribution among the Earth’s population, and considers their contribution to human well-being. For the lifestyles of the global consumer class this implies giving specific attention to the levels and patterns of consumption. The paper questions the actual political SCP debate, its strong reliance on Sustainable Consumer Procurement, and the belief that green economic growth can cure all our problems. Instead it suggests other ways to go. To stimulate public debate it seems useful to apply a carrot and stick strategy. The stick in this case is to create a sense of urgency for the global environmental and socia...
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Papers by Sylvia Lorek