Carbon Footprints and Consumer Lifestyles: An Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Gap Analysis by Consumer Segment in Japan

Ryu Koide, Michael Lettenmeier, Satoshi Kojima, Viivi Toivio, Aryanie Amellina and Lewis Akenji
Additional contact information
Ryu Koide: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Hayama 240-0115, Japan
Michael Lettenmeier: Department of Design, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland
Satoshi Kojima: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Hayama 240-0115, Japan
Viivi Toivio: Department of Design, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland
Aryanie Amellina: South Pole, Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
Lewis Akenji: SEED, 10559 Berlin, Germany

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 21, 1-25

Abstract: Addressing the prevailing mode of high-carbon lifestyles is crucial for the transition towards a net-zero carbon society. Existing studies fail to fully investigate the underlining factors of unsustainable lifestyles beyond individual determinants nor consider the gaps between current footprints and reduction targets. This study examines latent lifestyle factors related to carbon footprints and analyzes gaps between decarbonization targets and current lifestyles of major consumer segments through exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis. As a case study on Japanese households, it estimates carbon footprints of over 47,000 households using expenditure survey microdata, and identifies high-carbon lifestyle factors and consumer segments by multivariate regression analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. Income, savings, family composition, house size and type, ownership of durables and automobiles, and work style were confirmed as determinants of high-footprint Japanese households, with eight lifestyles factors, including long-distance leisure, materialistic consumption, and meat-rich diets, identified as the main contributory factors. The study revealed a five-fold difference between lowest and highest footprint segments, with all segments overshooting the 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets. The findings imply the urgent need for policies tailored to diverse consumer segments and to address the underlying causes of high-carbon lifestyles especially of high-carbon segments.

Keywords: carbon footprint; household consumption; lifestyles; expenditure survey microdata; factor analysis; cluster analysis; Paris Agreement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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