On the way to a post-carbon society: Assessing the personal carbon footprint of French social milieux to develop targeted intervention strategies (8-295-11)
Andreas Huber, Eifer - European Institute for Energy Research, GermanyYoann Thomas, European Institute for Energy Research, Germany
Sébastien Girard, European Institute for Energy Research, Germany
This is a peer-reviewed paper.
Keywords
behavioural change, carbon footprint, CO2 reduction, consumer behaviour, lifestyle, policy instruments, patterns of energy use, incentive mechanisms, social milieux, intervention strategiesAbstract
Achieving a massive reduction of CO2 emissions depends not only on technical energy efficiency, but also strongly on changing patterns of consumption. Policy makers and science often fail to consider the great variety of modern societies, addressing a standardized uniform being, called “the consumer”. In this paper we take the strong segmentation of the French society into account, applying the SinusMilieux® approach developed by the marketing company Sociovision. These (currently 9) quantifiable social milieux are defined along social values, aspirations, lifestyles and socio-economic conditions. We will analyze the carbon footprint of those Milieux, identify the consumption areas with the highest footprint and subsequently suggest appropriate “interventions strategies” for each Milieu.
Each Milieu is represented by one or two typical profiles, created on prominent characteristics such as the type of housing, frequency of long distance travels, or food preferences. The personal carbon footprint related to each profile is calculated with the Bilan Carbone Personnel® tool which was developed by the French energy agency ADEME. It is subdivided into 4 main categories which account for different kinds of parameters: (1) habitation (2) transportation (3) alimentation and (4) goods and services. First results show that the personal carbon footprint varies greatly from one Milieu to another and from one field of consumption to another, particularly regarding transportation.
Given those strong differences between Milieus and consumption areas we will subsequently suggest low-carbon “interventions strategies” that are targeted to the specific characteristics of different milieus. Typically, such measures can be communication (e.g. campaigns), regulation (personal carbon allowances), financial incentives (e.g. feed-in tariffs), the promotion of collective action (e.g. community initiatives) and changes of “choice infrastructures” (e.g. attractive public transportation).
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Panels of the eceee 2011 Summer Study:
Panel 1. Policies and programmes to drive transformation
Panel 2. Current energy efficiency policies: On stage and backstage
Panel 3. Energy use in industry: The road from policy to action
Panel 4. Transport and mobility: How to deliver energy efficiency
Panel 5. Saving energy in buildings: The time to act is now
Panel 6. Innovations in buildings and appliances
Panel 7. Monitoring and evaluation
Panel 8. Dynamics of consumption
