Why Achieving the Paris Agreement Requires Reduced Overall Consumption and Production

Authors

Eva Alfredsson, The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Magnus Bengtsson
Halina Szejnwald Brown, Clark University
Cindy Isenhour, University of Maine
Sylvia Lorek, Sustainable Europe Research Institute
Dimitris Stevis, Colorado State University
Philip Vergragt, Clark University

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Technological solutions to the challenge of dangerous climate change are urgent and necessary but to be effective they need to be accompanied by reductions in the total level of consumption and production of goods and services. This is for three reasons. First, private consumption and its associated production are among the key drivers of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, especially among highly emitting industrialized economies. There is no evidence that decoupling of the economy from GHG emissions is possible at the scale and speed needed. Second, investments in more sustainable infrastructure, including renewable energy, needed in coming decades will require extensive amounts of energy, largely from fossil sources, which will use up a significant share of the two-degree carbon budget. Third, improving the standard of living of the world’s poor will consume a major portion of the available carbon allowance. The scholarly community has a responsibility to put the issue of consumption and the associated production on the research and policy agenda.

Publication Title

Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Volume

14

Issue

1

First Page

1

Last Page

5

ISSN

1548-7733

DOI

10.1080/15487733.2018.1458815

Keywords

Agenda 2030, climate change, Paris Agreement, Sustainable consumption and production, sustainable investments

Repository Citation

Alfredsson, Eva; Bengtsson, Magnus; Brown, Halina Szejnwald; Isenhour, Cindy; Lorek, Sylvia; Stevis, Dimitris; and Vergragt, Philip, "Why Achieving the Paris Agreement Requires Reduced Overall Consumption and Production" (2018). Sustainability and Social Justice. 390.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_idce/390

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Copyright Conditions

Alfredsson, Eva, et al. "Why achieving the Paris Agreement requires reduced overall consumption and production." Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy 14.1 (2018): 1-5.