Leaked IPCC draft: Lifestyle change can cut double the emissions of Brazil by 2030

(Climate Home News, 31 Aug 2021) Lifestyle changes globally could cut emissions twice the size of Brazil’s by 2030, compared to technological solutions alone, according to a leaked draft of an upcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scientific report.

Eating meat, air conditioning, flying and driving SUVs are among high carbon lifestyle choices on the rise, linked to disposable incomes. Those trends make consumer behaviour relevant to tackling climate change – particularly among the rich, who have the largest carbon footprints.

The draft IPCC report found that “individual behavioral change in isolation cannot reduce [greenhouse gas] emissions significantly” but “individuals can contribute to overcoming barriers and enable climate change mitigation”.

“If 10-30% of the population were to demonstrate commitment to low-carbon technologies, behaviors, and lifestyles, new social norms would be established,” the draft report says.

For decades, climate campaigners have hotly debated the relative importance of what individuals buy in creating change. Some argue it lets governments and big business off the hook, while others argue it is empowering and pressures governments and companies to act.

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Climate Home News, 31 Aug 2021: Leaked IPCC draft: Lifestyle change can cut double the emissions of Brazil by 2030