Sufficiency in Energy Scenario Studies

Most past energy scenario studies which aim to advise policy makers on appropriate energy policy measures have not factored in the impact of lifestyle changes towards sustainability. These studies highlight changes required to achieve a future energy system that is in line with public policy goals such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists of the Wuppertal Institute now argue that behavioural changes towards energy-sufficient lifestyles have considerable potential to contribute to those public policy goals and may even be indispensable for their achievement. Scenario studies should therefore reflect this potential in order to give comprehensive advice.

The paper "Sufficiency in energy scenario studies: Taking the potential benefits of lifestyle changes into account" by Wuppertal Institute's Sascha Samadi, Marie-Christine Gröne, Uwe Schneidewind, Hans-Jochen Luhmann, Johannes Venjakob and Benjamin Best was published in "Technological Forecasting and Social Change" and is available for free download via ScienceDirect.