Do you ever wonder what it would take for everyone to live in such a way that we could stop global
warming?
The Paris Agreement (UNFCC 2018) set an aspirational climate stabilization goal at 1.5 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels. A new report is open for public consultation that explores what this means
for household consumption and related lifestyle impacts.
Photo Credit: Jennie Moore
“Lifestyle Carbon Footprints: Exploration of Long-term Targets and Case Studies of Carbon Footprintsfrom Household Consumption (Draft for Consultation)” is now open for public consultation until the end of October 2018: https://pub.iges.or.jp/pub/lifestyle-carbon-footprints-exploration-long.
The suggested target for individuals reaches 0.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per person per year by 2050. This is far below the annual emissions of an average Finnish (10.4 tCO2e) or Japanese (7.6 tCO2e) person. Case studies in the report address household consumption and lifestyle impacts for average persons in: Finland, Japan, China, India and Brazil. In-depth analysis focusses on Finland and Japan. The report identifies various actions necessary for households, businesses and governments to
achieve climate stabilization goals at the 2 degree and 1.5 degree levels. This aligns with what scientists believe are the thresholds for climate stabilization. If global average temperatures reach above 2 degrees Celsius we cross a tipping point that triggers “grave damage to ecosystems” (IPCC 2004), risking transformation to an uninhabitable world.
The International Ecocity Standards for “Clean Air” and “Earth’s Carrying Capacity” connect with standards for “Responsible Materials,” “Clean and Renewable Energy,” “Access to Nutritious Food,” “Healthy Culture,” “Community Capacity/Governance,” and “Healthy and Equitable Economy” in support of these findings: www.ecocitystandards.org.
Photo Credit: Jennie Moore
We have recently updated the International Ecocity Standards website so if you have not visited lately, please take-a-peek and let us know what you think.
We will explore the topic of “sustainable lifestyles and behaviours” at the upcoming Ecocity World Summit 2019 in relation to our conference theme and sub-themes addressing “Socially Just and Ecologically Sustainable Cities,” “Climate Action,” “Circular Economy,” and “Informal Solutions for Sustainable Development.” To learn more visit: www.ecocity2019.
References:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). 2018. The Paris Agreement. Online
resource: https://unfccc.int/process/the-paris-agreement/what-is-the-paris-agreement (Accessed
September 28, 2018).
International Panel on Climate Change. 2007. Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007:
Working Group III: Mitigation of Climate Change. Online resource:
https://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg3/en/ch1s1-2-2.html (Accessed September 28,
2018).
