A sufficiency perspective on household consumption

The climate impact of household consumption is significant. It accounts for two thirds of consumption-based[i]greenhouse gas emissions globally (Hertwich & Peters 2009) as well as in Finland (Nissinen & Savolainen 2019). The everyday decisions of households hence play a significant role in addressing climate change. The carbon footprint of an average Finn is about 10 tons carbon dioxide equivalents (tCO2-ekv) per year. This can be viewed in relation to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees as outlined in the Paris Agreement. A report by IGES et al. (2019) estimates that staying on the 1.5-degree pathway would translate into personal carbon quotas of 2.5 tCO2-ekv per year in 2030. This means that the footprint of an average Finn must decrease by more than 70%. This text suggests a number of climate policy instruments for recomposing consumption: systematically steering consumption away from identified carbon hotspots towards low-carbon options.