Are We Missing the Opportunity of Low-Carbon Lifestyles? International Climate Policy Commitments and Demand-Side Gaps

Janet Salem,Manfred Lenzen,Yasuhiko Hotta

doi:10.3390/su132212760

Abstract

Current commitments in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are insufficient to remain within the 2-degree climate change limit agreed to in the Paris Agreement. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that lifestyle changes are now necessary to stay within the limit. We reviewed a range of NDCs and national climate change strategies to identify inclusion of low-carbon lifestyles. We found that most NDCs and national climate change strategies do not yet include the full range of necessary mitigation measures targeting lifestyle change, particularly those that could reduce indirect emissions. Some exceptional NDCs, such as those of Austria, Slovakia, Portugal and the Netherlands, do include lifestyle changes, such as low-carbon diets, reduced material consumption, and low-carbon mobility. Most countries focus on supply-side measures with long lag times and might miss the window of opportunity to shape low-carbon lifestyle patterns, particularly those at early stages of development trajectories. Systemic barriers exist that should be corrected before new NDCs are released, including changing the accounting and reporting methodology, accounting for extraterritorial emissions, providing guidance on NDC scope to include the menu of options identified by the IPCC, and increasing support for national level studies to design demand-side policies.

Highlights

Human-induced climate change threatens ecosystems and populations around the world today and increasingly in the future [1]
In order to explore whether sustainable lifestyles and sustainable consumption are included in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and other climate policy documents relevant to the Paris Agreement, we will first summarize different frameworks that have been used to make the case that lifestyles are a vital element of mitigation strategies
We will review frameworks before selecting a categorization methodology to assess to what extent sustainable lifestyles and sustainable consumption are included in NDCs and climate change policies

Summary

Introduction

Human-induced climate change threatens ecosystems and populations around the world today and increasingly in the future [1]. Their objective was “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner” [2]. The timing of this agreement is relevant given that there was less scientific evidence at the time regarding climate change, and yet member States were driven “to act in the interests of human safety even in the face of scientific uncertainty”. It took more than 20 years to agree on the common goal of keeping climate change-related temperature increases to less than 2 degrees, and to pursue efforts to limit global heating to

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Discussion

Conclusion