Summary of the Challenge
Research into sustainable consumption has traditionally been skewed towards understanding under-consumption, and high consuming households remain under-studied. However, high consumption households have the largest carbon footprints, which must be addressed if we are to achieve a just transition that provides a good life for all, within the limits of the planet's resources.
However, the causes are complex and a range of factors lock individuals into high consumption lifestyles. High consumers also commonly act as aspirational peers within society and as such, encourage more and more of us to aspire to progressively higher consumption expectations.
Our Response
High consumers represent an opportunity for considerable reductions in emissions from energy, resources and transportation but they are a hard to reach group. To achieve change, we must overcome specific challenges in reaching them.
We want to understand ‘why is it so hard to consume less?’ by conducting a series of in-depth interviews with high consumers (of energy, transport, food and consumer goods) living in South Yorkshire.
This research will give us a clearer picture of what locks individuals into high consumption lifestyles. The research will be presented to relevant partners through a policy briefing that provides new insights into how high consumption becomes locked in and where the intervention points exist that might be leveraged to curb or halt escalating consumption expectations.
