Setting consumption-based emission reduction goals

This research paper, prepared for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality by the Stockholm Environment Institute, discusses the rationale and methodology for setting consumption-based greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. It argues that supplementing Oregon's existing sector-based targets with consumption-based goals would provide a more comprehensive and equitable approach to climate mitigation by accounting for the full carbon footprint of goods and services consumed within the state.

• Oregon is a pioneer in consumption-based emissions tracking, having become the first US state to produce a consumption-based emissions inventory in 2011. This inventory accounts for the entire life cycle of energy, materials, and goods and services consumed in the state, regardless of where the emissions occur.
• While Oregon has reduced its sector-based emissions, its consumption-based emissions have continued to rise, largely because policy focus has remained on sector-based goals.
• Adopting consumption-based goals can prevent 'carbon leakage,' where sector-based reductions in developed regions are achieved by shifting the production of emissions-intensive goods to lower-income countries.
• The paper identifies four potential methods for Oregon to set consumption-based targets: aligning with existing sector-based goals (e.g., a 75% reduction by 2050), targeting minimum standards for human well-being (decent living standards), using scenario analysis based on global carbon budgets (potentially 0.5 to 1.3 tCO2e per capita by 2050), or using a 'fair share' approach based on historical responsibility.
• Several other jurisdictions have implemented consumption-based targets: San Francisco aims for a 40% reduction by 2030 and 80% by 2050 (relative to 1990); Paris targets a 40% reduction by 2030 and 80% by 2050 (relative to 2004); and London set a provisional target to reduce household consumption emissions to two-thirds below 2001 levels by 2030.
• Sweden and the European Union are moving toward binding consumption-based targets. Sweden intends to set a target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, while the European Parliament voted in 2021 to create science-based, binding 2030 targets for material use and the EU's consumption footprint to support a transition to a circular economy by 2050.

APA

Ghosh, E., & Broekhoff, D. (2024). Setting consumption-based emission reduction goals. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/discussion-1-emission-reduction-goals.pdf

Chicago

Ghosh, Emily, and Derik Broekhoff. Setting consumption-based emission reduction goals. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/discussion-1-emission-reduction-goals.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ghosh |first1=Emily |last2=Broekhoff |first2=Derik |title=Setting consumption-based emission reduction goals |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=September 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/discussion-1-emission-reduction-goals.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ghosh2024setting, author = {Ghosh, Emily and Broekhoff, Derik}, title = {{Setting consumption-based emission reduction goals}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/discussion-1-emission-reduction-goals.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }