Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/S0921-8009(02)00212-4
Title (Primary) Environmentally sustainable household consumption: from aggregate environmental pressures to priority fields of action
Author Spangenberg, J.H.; Lorek, S.
Source Titel Ecological Economics
Year 2002
Department BZF
Volume 43
Issue 2-3
Page From 127
Page To 140
Language englisch
Abstract Unsustainable consumption patterns of the North (or rather of the global affluent consumers class) have been identified by Agenda 21 as one of the key driving forces behind the unsustainable development. However, neither accounting based on the system of national accounts SNA nor household economics provide the proper instruments to assess the environmental impact of household decision making. Eco-efficiency assessments as familiar in the business sector provide no appropriate tool for households. As an alternative an environmental space based assessment scheme is suggested covering the major pressures on the environment caused by household decisions. The methodology is used twice: once to analyse the environmental relevance of the main activity clusters of household consumption and once to identify the dominant acts of consumption within each cluster. The latter provide the basis for deriving environmental performance indicators. A rough analysis of household influence potentials permits to identify housing, eating and mobility as the three priority fields for action for minimising the environmental impact of households. Extending the influence analysis actor matrixes are derived allocating influence and thus responsibility for environmental pressures to different groups of economic agents.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=6028
Spangenberg, J.H., Lorek, S. (2002):
Environmentally sustainable household consumption: from aggregate environmental pressures to priority fields of action
Ecol. Econ. 43 (2-3), 127 - 140 10.1016/S0921-8009(02)00212-4