Understanding sustainable lifestyles and consumer behaviour

The document outlines a review of sustainable consumption drivers, emphasizing that behaviour is shaped by a complex matrix of pricing, technology, social norms, and infrastructure. It argues for a shift from targeting individuals to addressing the 'organization of practices' and whole systems to avoid rebound effects. The report also notes a lack of nuanced research on the intersection of gender and consumption patterns.

• Consumer behaviour is driven by a complex interaction of factors including pricing, disposable income, technology, marketing, regulations, peers, media, personal values, social and cultural norms, and habits.
• Effective sustainability strategies should target the 'organization of practices'—the factors that promote and support routine behaviours—rather than focusing solely on the individual. For instance, in Sweden, flight taxes have not reduced ticket sales because of strong social norms and expectations regarding holidays.
• Infrastructure and institutions are critical in making sustainable lifestyles feasible; for example, reducing parking and improving cycle lanes and public transport is more effective than simply encouraging people to drive less.
• Promoting sustainable consumption requires a whole-systems approach to prevent rebound effects, such as when energy efficiency improvements lower costs and subsequently increase total energy consumption.
• Existing research on the role of gender in consumption is limited and produces diverse conclusions, indicating a need for more nuanced studies that examine gender's interaction with income, family status, culture, social norms, ethnicity, and education.

APA

Axelsson, K., Tella, P. V., Chan, S., & Barnekow, S. (2019). Understanding sustainable lifestyles and consumer behaviour. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/sei-2019-p2cs-consumer-behaviour.pdf

Chicago

Axelsson, Katarina, Patricia Vilchis Tella, Stefanie Chan, and Sarah Barnekow. Understanding sustainable lifestyles and consumer behaviour. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/sei-2019-p2cs-consumer-behaviour.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Axelsson |first1=Katarina |last2=Tella |first2=Patricia Vilchis |last3=Chan |first3=Stefanie |last4=Barnekow |first4=Sarah |title=Understanding sustainable lifestyles and consumer behaviour |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=March 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/sei-2019-p2cs-consumer-behaviour.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{axelsson2019understanding, author = {Axelsson, Katarina and Tella, Patricia Vilchis and Chan, Stefanie and Barnekow, Sarah}, title = {{Understanding sustainable lifestyles and consumer behaviour}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/sei-2019-p2cs-consumer-behaviour.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }