CONSENSUS OVERVIEW Challenges and Opportunities for SC in the Irish Context CONSENSUS CONFERENCE NUI GALWAY 18 th MAY 2012 Frances Fahy Mary Jo Lavelle Jessica Pape Overview! Challenges and Opportunities for SC in the Irish Context! Challenges for Behavioural Change! Researching Sustainable Lifestyles in Ireland! Sustainable Living Survey! Key Trends and Results! Current Focus: QoL & Sustainable Consumption (Source: Irish Times, 2011)
Research Context Examining how a shift towards more sustainable consumption might be measured encouraged and governed Household consumption: the selection, purchase, use, maintenance, repair and disposal of any product or services by members of a household (OECD 2001) Research at the international scale (e.g. Quist et al. 2001; Hobson, 2006; Tudor et al., 2011) Energy:! Ireland s residential sectors Total Primary Energy Requirement increased by 31% between 1990 and 2004.! Higher energy usage per dwelling and higher CO2 emissions than the EU averages: " Ireland was 31% above the EU average energy usage per dwelling. " 36% above the EU-27 average (SEI, 2008). Transport:! Ireland amongst the most car dependent societies in Europe (Gkartzios & Scott, 2007).! An increasing reliance on the private motor vehicle as the preferred mode of transport (Clinch et al., 2002). Water Consumption:! Ireland 148 litres per person per day in comparison to Denmark (116 litres).! High levels of water leakage; up to 55% in certain areas. costing the state almost 1bn annually (EPA, 2008).
Challenges for Sustainable Consumption in the Irish Context No coherent framework for SC; fragmented General consumer policy weak No single government department has overall responsibility for the area of SC... policy goals and objectives in this area have been limited to date All island cooperation Policy Responses Use of Economic Instruments Plastic bag levy PBU waste charges New VRT & emissions based motor taxes Communicative Instruments Information Campaigns Environmental Education Programmes
Complexity of Consumption Behaviour Variety of factors that influence behaviour Economic Political Socio-technical Sociological Socio-psychological Calls to develop evidence-based policies to encourage behavioural change Gaps in Knowledge Need to establish detailed, comprehensive and coherent baseline information about the form of consumption patterns Improved understanding of why people act the way that they do in particular (changing) socioeconomic and environmental circumstances Reflect on the impacts of SC policy tools and examine wider governance processes that affect how these policies are generated, shaped and implemented.
Methodology Extensive questionnaire survey Data collection - June 2010 to May 2011 Sampling 1,500 Households Selected counties: Derry, Dublin & Galway 30 Electoral Districts (EDs) Multi-cluster sampling- 500 households in each of 3 counties 250 urban/ 250 rural divide Geo-directory (Republic) & Pointer database (Northern Ireland) Galway Dublin (Source:(Bryman,(2006)# Key Survey Results Preliminary analysis- emerging and existing trends and patterns of consumption. Public dissemination of survey results policymakers, NGOs, members of public. Results factsheets: Water Energy Transport Food Food Waste Environmental Concern & Attitudes Information & Awareness
Examples of Key Findings: Sustainable Lifestyles and Quality of Life A critical issue the relationship between perceptions of QoL & sustainable consumption (Doran, 2007; Hinton & Goodman, 2009). Arguments that economic growth does not equate to improved QoL or wellbeing (Diener & Seligman, 2004; Lane, 2001; Layard, 2005; Jackson, 2004). SC policies are unlikely to be successful if they detract from an individual s quality of life (Bell & Morse, 2003). Environmental actions unlikely.. if SC policies impinge too severely on the individual s time, money & comfort (Stern & Aronson, 1984).
Important Issues for Quality of Life: Most important thing for an individual'squality of life Other Good social life Having religious or spirtual beliefs Good Community life/relationships Good work-life balance Job satisfaction Good education Good standard of living Good family life Nice place to live Good health 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Percentages Impact of Recent Economic Downturn on Quality of Life: No differences noted across the genders; in terms of whether or not their In what way has the recent economic downturn affected the respondents' quality of life? quality of life had been affected by the economic downturn (P>0.05). downturn' 'My overall quality of life has been affected by this recent economic Variations were found to exist in terms 80 of participants 60 rural or urban residential 70 locations and their agreement with this 6050 statement (X2-=4.196, df=1, P<0.05). Percentages 100 90 50 40 40 Differences 30 were noted between respondents 30 20 in the different age categories 1020 and their agreement with this statement (χ 2 =24.387, df=2, P<0.05). 0 10 Ability to keep house adequately heated Ability to take an annual holiday abroad Homeowners (64%), in comparison to renters 0 (65%) and those whose accommodation Strongly was provided Agree rent-free (68%), were less likely to report that their quality of Agree life had been affected (χ 2 =6.955 a, df=3, P<0.05). Ability to purchase your weekly food shopping Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Ability to socialise with family or friends Strongly Disagree Ability to own a new car Don't Know
Willingness to Accept Cuts in Standards of Living. 'I would be willing to accept cuts in my standards of living; if it helped to protect the environment' Difference noted between men and women and their willingness to accept cuts in their standards of living (χ2 =12.747a, df=1, P<0.001). Frequencies 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know Respondents in the older age cohorts reported higher levels of willingness to accept cuts in their standards of living (χ2 =7.585, DF=2, P<0.05). Differences noted between respondents in the different housing tenure groupings (χ2 =8.836a, DF=3, P<0.05). Respondents in the highest income bracket (> 114,000) were least likely to report being willing to accept cuts in standards of living. Perceptions of Luxury and Necessity Do respondents consider the following items to be luxuries or necessities? 1400 1200 Frequencies 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Car Dishwasher Tumble-dryer Electric shower Mircowave TV Laptop/computer Mobile phone Luxury Necessity
Governing Sustainable Consumption Academic Publications: Pape, J., Rau, H., Fahy, F., and Davies, A. (2011) Developing Policies and Instruments for Sustainable Consumption: Irish Experiences and Futures, Journal of Consumer Policy 34, (1) 25-42 Davies, A., Fahy, F. Rau, H. and Pape, J. (2010) Sustainable Consumption: practices and governance, Irish Geography Vol.43 (1) 59-79