Designing roadmaps to reduce consumption-based emissions

The report assesses the use of sufficiency strategies in Malmö's climate policies and explores resident perspectives on low-carbon living. It finds that while Malmö relies heavily on efficiency and consistency, sufficiency-oriented measures—which focus on reducing absolute consumption—are underused, particularly in housing and food systems. Participatory workshops in Västra Hamnen and Limhamns hamnområde reveal that residents desire a 'good life' defined by slower paces, community connection, and non-market provision, suggesting that sufficiency can align climate goals with community wellbeing.

• Sufficiency-oriented strategies are underutilized in Malmö's current climate framework, which prioritizes efficiency and consistency. While efficiency reduces environmental impact per unit, sufficiency focuses on "rethinking how needs are met and on limiting excessive consumption."
• The application of sufficiency strategies is uneven across sectors. The mobility sector has the most measures, but these primarily focus on changing how people move rather than reducing "overall travel demand". Sufficiency is "notably absent" in the housing sector, specifically regarding residential space per capita, and remains "peripheral" in the food sector.
• Residents in the Västra Hamnen and Limhamns hamnområde neighbourhoods envision a high quality of life that is not dependent on material consumption. They expressed a preference for "lives conducted at a slower pace" and a focus on "wellbeing, connection, shared spaces and mutual care."
• There is strong resident demand for non-market and community-based provision systems. Participants identified "flea markets, urban farming initiatives, and community-based repair and reuse shops" as synergistic tools that meet human needs while supporting sustainability.
• Reframing climate action through a sufficiency lens shifts the focus from making consumption 'greener' to questioning "why people consume". This approach allows municipalities to link emissions reductions with the enhancement of personal wellbeing and community ties.
• Malmö's policy instrument mix is heavily skewed toward procedural and planning tools, with a significant lack of economic and regulatory instruments to drive structural transformation.

APA

Jokiaho, J., & Vanhuyse, F. (2026). Designing roadmaps to reduce consumption-based emissions. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/roadmaps-for-reducing-consumption-based-emissions.pdf

Chicago

Jokiaho, Julia, and Fedra Vanhuyse. Designing roadmaps to reduce consumption-based emissions. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2026. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/roadmaps-for-reducing-consumption-based-emissions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jokiaho |first1=Julia |last2=Vanhuyse |first2=Fedra |title=Designing roadmaps to reduce consumption-based emissions |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=April 2026 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/roadmaps-for-reducing-consumption-based-emissions.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jokiaho2026designing, author = {Jokiaho, Julia and Vanhuyse, Fedra}, title = {{Designing roadmaps to reduce consumption-based emissions}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/roadmaps-for-reducing-consumption-based-emissions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }