Lifestyles and climate change: link awaiting activation

Changes in lifestyles can contribute to achieving low-carbon emission growth that is both equitable and sustainable. Evidence shows that, even after two centuries, technological advances due to the industrial revolution have not touched the life of each and every human life equally. The history of development and the GHG emission load have triggered the sufferer–polluter debate. In the past few decades the ‘polluter pays principle’ has provided neither a substantial transfer of wealth to those suffering from the effects of pollution nor a reduction in global emissions. In a carbon-constrained world there is an immediate need to free up some space through emission reduction from conspicuous consumption to accommodate survival emission. Lifestyle change is a complementary call for a continuous effort encompassing spread of awareness of sustainable lifestyles, energy concerns, building of synergies between policy, regulation, technology, market forces and ethical imperatives. The focus of change needs to be on patterns of energy consumption. It is important to include this in the global policy discourse. Researchers need to work together to prepare a Global Lifestyle Assessment Report.