Scaling Up Ecovillagers’ Lifestyles Can Help to Decarbonise Europe

Franziska Wiest, M. Gabriela Gamarra Scavone, Maya Tsuboya Newell, Ilona M. Otto and Andrew K. Ringsmuth
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Franziska Wiest: Faculty of Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
M. Gabriela Gamarra Scavone: Faculty of Geoscience, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Maya Tsuboya Newell: Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8511, Japan
Ilona M. Otto: Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
Andrew K. Ringsmuth: Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Brandhofgasse 5, 8010 Graz, Austria

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-19

Abstract: Decarbonisation is an essential response to the threat of climate change. To achieve Europe’s net-zero 2050 climate targets, radical technological and social changes are required. Lifestyle changes for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are an important component of complex systemic transformation. The typical behaviour of inhabitants in ecovillages is potentially more conducive to sustainable lifestyles than the current European standard lifestyle. This study explores the potential of ecovillagers' lifestyles to contribute to decarbonisation using the Multilevel Perspective (MLP) theoretical framework. The research data were obtained through the model tool EUCalc and an online survey of 73 ecovillage residents in 24 European countries. The results indicate that current ecovillagers’ lifestyles, regarding home, consumption, diet, and mobility, would continue to produce 40% fewer emissions per capita than the standard European lifestyle by 2050. The study identifies which ecovillage behaviours would produce the largest reductions in per-capita CO 2 eq emissions if adopted by society more broadly.

Keywords: climate change; demand-side solutions; lifestyle change; decarbonisation; ecovillage; EUCalc; Europe; GHG emissions; transformation pathway; transition; multilevel perspective (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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