Living Within Limits. Sufficiency and the Pursuit of Low-Carbon Lifestyles

Climate change mitigation requires not only technological innovation but also changes in consumption and everyday behaviour. While efficiency and renewable energy are essential, they have not offset rising energy use. This thesis examines sufficiency (i.e., the voluntary moderation of energy and material consumption while maintaining quality of life) as a complementary mitigation pathway. Using large-scale survey data from several European countries, it shows that sufficiency is distinct from deprivation. Individuals with stronger sufficiency-oriented values have lower carbon footprints in transport, food and electricity, independent of income. In contrast, lower housing energy use often reflects financial constraints and reduced comfort. The findings indicate that low-impact lifestyles can coexist with high well-being, especially where supportive infrastructure and policies enable voluntary moderation while protecting households from hardship.