Refinement of research design. FULFILL Deliverable D 2.3

This deliverable presents core concepts targeted within the FULFILL project. It outlines methodological approaches and concerns to research sufficiency-oriented lifestyles on the micro, meso and levels of society. We take an interdisciplinary perspective combining social science and humanity perspectives with techno-economic perspectives throughout the whole project and also in this deliverable (see introduction). We introduce sufficiency as key concept (chapter 1.1.) and discuss the multidimensionality and diversity of the concept. Based on the variety of approaches towards sufficiency we derive the projects’ two-folded perspective: On the one hand, sufficiency serves as a principle that enables sufficiency-oriented lifestyles (through creating social, infrastructural, regulatory conditions) that reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to individual and societal well-being to stay within the planetary boundaries. On the other hand, we analyse sufficiency as already performed by individuals in order to understand various levers on the micro, meso and macro levels of society (i.e., infrastructures and societal frameworks) towards sufficiency-oriented lifestyles. This approach helps to elaborate what (future) sufficiency lifestyles would actually look like. We also introduce lifestyle as a key concept and research frame that is used throughout the project (chapter 1.2.). Afterwards, we widen the scope from the micro level perspective to the meso and macro levels perspectives: We present an overview of current sufficiency-based scenarios and evaluate their contributions in order to identify the most important levers for sufficiency and the potential contribution to remain below 1.5°C (chapter 2.). Based on this macro level perspective, key areas for research on sufficiency-oriented lifestyles and important levers for sufficiency are outlined. A core part of the deliverable approaches how to measure and evaluate sufficiency-oriented lifestyles based on our definition. Therefore, we outline how sufficiency-oriented lifestyles and wellbeing could be defined and measured on the micro level (chapter 3.) and also on a macro level (chapter 4.). In particular, sufficiency-oriented lifestyles from the macro level perspective reveal potentials and challenges with regard to future integration of sufficiency measures into energy and climate models, which are discussed as well. Finally, we summarize the key areas for sufficiency lifestyles (chapter 5.1.), highlight how the gender dimension will be considered in the whole project (chapter 5.2.) and give a brief outlook on upcoming work packages (chapter 5.3.) and briefly describe how they will include the key areas identified for sufficiency-oriented lifestyles in their work, consider gender dimensions accordingly and the interconnectedness between micro and macro levels in the project.