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Enabling 1.5 °C lifestyles in Europe: lifestyle options and structural change for transformation

Fuchs, Doris ; Kreinin, Halliki ; Becker, Lea ; Berendt, Paula ; Brizga, Janis ; Cap, Stephanie ; Coscieme, Luca ; Domröse, Lena ; Dumitru, Adina and Laksevics, Karlis , et al. (2026) In Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy 22(1).
Abstract
Scholars have shown that lifestyle change is pivotal for any effective climate-mitigation scenario. But what lifestyle changes are needed and how can they be enabled and mainstreamed? This is the question pursued by the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project, the results of which the article summarizes and synthesizes. The project integrated quantitative and qualitative methods, ranging from input-output analysis-based footprint calculations to co-creative “thinking labs” and policy Delphi workshops across five European countries (Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Spain, and Sweden) to identify the most impactful lifestyle changes; determine conditions for their mainstreaming; suggest how rebound effects could be prevented; uncover the main political,... (More)
Scholars have shown that lifestyle change is pivotal for any effective climate-mitigation scenario. But what lifestyle changes are needed and how can they be enabled and mainstreamed? This is the question pursued by the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project, the results of which the article summarizes and synthesizes. The project integrated quantitative and qualitative methods, ranging from input-output analysis-based footprint calculations to co-creative “thinking labs” and policy Delphi workshops across five European countries (Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Spain, and Sweden) to identify the most impactful lifestyle changes; determine conditions for their mainstreaming; suggest how rebound effects could be prevented; uncover the main political, economic, and societal barriers to lifestyle change and governance in its pursuit; and assess how changes in welfare systems and business models could contribute to lifestyle change. Our results show that changing from car-based mobility (especially internal combustion engine-powered cars) to other modes of transport has the largest emissions-reduction potential across a range of European countries, with changes in housing, especially switching to renewable-based heating systems, comprising a second group of impactful options. The article also shows that achieving meaningful changes in lifestyles requires transforming politico-economic, technological, and societal structures to enable (or to cease hindering) the adoption of relevant low-carbon lifestyle options at the household level. Acknowledging the political challenges to achieving such transformations, the article considers the options for mobilizing transformative change. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy
volume
22
issue
1
article number
2657131
publisher
Taylor & Francis
DOI
10.1080/15487733.2026.2657131
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
eb4907ca-bcb7-4c1b-85ca-81c47e0139f3
date added to LUP
2026-05-18 09:01:31
date last changed
2026-05-19 03:09:02
@article{eb4907ca-bcb7-4c1b-85ca-81c47e0139f3,
  abstract     = {{Scholars have shown that lifestyle change is pivotal for any effective climate-mitigation scenario. But what lifestyle changes are needed and how can they be enabled and mainstreamed? This is the question pursued by the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project, the results of which the article summarizes and synthesizes. The project integrated quantitative and qualitative methods, ranging from input-output analysis-based footprint calculations to co-creative “thinking labs” and policy Delphi workshops across five European countries (Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Spain, and Sweden) to identify the most impactful lifestyle changes; determine conditions for their mainstreaming; suggest how rebound effects could be prevented; uncover the main political, economic, and societal barriers to lifestyle change and governance in its pursuit; and assess how changes in welfare systems and business models could contribute to lifestyle change. Our results show that changing from car-based mobility (especially internal combustion engine-powered cars) to other modes of transport has the largest emissions-reduction potential across a range of European countries, with changes in housing, especially switching to renewable-based heating systems, comprising a second group of impactful options. The article also shows that achieving meaningful changes in lifestyles requires transforming politico-economic, technological, and societal structures to enable (or to cease hindering) the adoption of relevant low-carbon lifestyle options at the household level. Acknowledging the political challenges to achieving such transformations, the article considers the options for mobilizing transformative change.}},
  author       = {{Fuchs, Doris and Kreinin, Halliki and Becker, Lea and Berendt, Paula and Brizga, Janis and Cap, Stephanie and Coscieme, Luca and Domröse, Lena and Dumitru, Adina and Laksevics, Karlis and Lehner, Matthias and Lettenmeier, Michael and Losada-Puente, Luisa and Mont, Oksana and Ozcelik, Nadin and Plepys, Andrius and Richter, Jessika and Scherer, Laura and Tornow, Maren and Vadovics, Edina and Vadovics, Kristof}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy}},
  title        = {{Enabling 1.5 °C lifestyles in Europe: lifestyle options and structural change for transformation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2026.2657131}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/15487733.2026.2657131}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}