THE POTENTIAL OF BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE FOR ACHIEVING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TARGETS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The document argues that while behavioural change alone cannot meet the European Union's climate targets, it can significantly reduce the policy costs of deep decarbonisation. It identifies 16 behavioural options across food, mobility, and housing, estimating that gradual changes could reduce the mitigation burden by 20% to 25% without upfront investment. The brief highlights co-benefits such as improved public health and food security, and suggests that combining technological transformations with public awareness campaigns and targeted taxes is the most efficient path to mitigation.

• Behavioural changes can significantly lower the cost of achieving climate targets because they reduce emissions in sectors where technological abatement is expensive, such as food, transport, and waste, compared to the electricity sector.
• The impact of lifestyle changes on greenhouse gas emissions varies by the level of adoption: an 'enthusiastic' profile could reduce emissions by 16.2%, a 'conscious' profile by 12.5%, and a 'convenient' profile by 6%.
• Immediate and rigorous behavioural change could mitigate up to one third of targeted GHG reductions by 2050, while more gradual changes could reduce the burden by 20% to 25% without requiring upfront investment costs.
• Behavioural changes in food, mobility, and housing offer various co-benefits, including improved personal and public health, reduced animal suffering, and enhanced energy and food security within the EU.

APA

van de Ven, D.-J., Gonzalez-Eguino, M., & Arto, I. (2017). THE POTENTIAL OF BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE FOR ACHIEVING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TARGETS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201801120925171569875484.pdf

Chicago

van de Ven, Dirk-Jan, Mikel Gonzalez-Eguino, and Iñaki Arto. THE POTENTIAL OF BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE FOR ACHIEVING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TARGETS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2017. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201801120925171569875484.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van de Ven |first1=Dirk-Jan |last2=Gonzalez-Eguino |first2=Mikel |last3=Arto |first3=Iñaki |title=THE POTENTIAL OF BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE FOR ACHIEVING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TARGETS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=2017 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201801120925171569875484.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vandeven2017potential, author = {van de Ven, Dirk-Jan and Gonzalez-Eguino, Mikel and Arto, Iñaki}, title = {{THE POTENTIAL OF BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE FOR ACHIEVING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TARGETS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2017}, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201801120925171569875484.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }