Whose house is on fire? Identifying socio-demographic and housing characteristics driving differences in the UK household CO2 emissions

Abstract

Achieving the goals outlined in the Paris agreement requires significant reductions in national carbon emissions. To fairly distribute the burden of mitigation, a detailed understanding of the social realities of emitters is needed. This sector-specific and sub-regional study was carried out to examine housing energy emissions in the UK and to obtain detailed information about the socioeconomic profiles of emitters. To account for the embedded nature of individuals in social groups and the social context, we applied the conceptual approach of socio-metabolic class theory. This theory posits that carbon emissions and the level of human agency are unequally distributed within the society. As a first attempt, the theory is operationalised using CO2 emission quartiles as central units of descriptive analysis. We find significant differences between these classes, and particularly in terms of cohabitation type, home ownership, and social vulnerability factors. Complementary results from a multivariate regression analysis indicate that the main determinants of housing carbon emissions are living space, household size, and the use of heating oil. We conclude by describing the contribution of our findings to socio-metabolic class theory, outlining future directions for research at the intersection of social class and ecology, and policy implications related to a low-carbon transition.