A Literature Review on Sustainable Lifestyles and Recommendations for Further Research

The report examines the environmental consequences of unsustainable lifestyles, particularly in industrialised nations, and explores the interplay between sustainable production and consumption. It evaluates accounting methods like Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) models to capture embedded emissions in trade, argues for an equitable global burden-sharing framework for climate mitigation, and analyses the psychological and institutional drivers of consumer behaviour. Key findings highlight the 'rebound effect' where efficiency gains are offset by increased consumption, and the potential of the 'functional economy' to reduce resource throughput via product lifetime optimisation and product-service systems.

• Industrialised countries in the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia represent one fifth of the global population but account for 86% of total world expenditure on consumption.
• Current territorial accounting systems allow developed nations to shift carbon-intensive production to other countries, a process known as 'carbon leakage', which can undermine the effectiveness of national environmental policies.
• The Greenhouse Development Rights (GDRs) framework proposes a socially just global burden-sharing agreement based on a development threshold of $9,000 per year, below which individuals are not required to contribute to climate mitigation.
• Research indicates that once basic subsistence needs are met, additional income and material consumption do not linearly increase subjective happiness, and some evidence suggests over-consumption may be psychologically damaging.
• Consumer behaviour is shaped by a combination of internal social-psychological factors (values, attitudes) and external institutional contexts (infrastructure, fiscal incentives), often resulting in an 'attitude-behaviour gap'.
• The 'rebound effect' occurs when technological improvements in resource efficiency lead to behavioural responses that increase demand, potentially offsetting the intended environmental gains.
• The 'functional economy' concept suggests reducing resource throughput by extending product lifespans through durability and maintenance, or by substituting product ownership with services (Product-Service Systems).
• Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) models are more accurate than single-region models for assessing environmental impacts because they account for different production technologies across the global supply chain.

APA

Scott, K. (n.d.). A Literature Review on Sustainable Lifestyles and Recommendations for Further Research. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/sei_sustainable_lifestyles_evidence_report.pdf

Chicago

Scott, Kate. A Literature Review on Sustainable Lifestyles and Recommendations for Further Research. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/sei_sustainable_lifestyles_evidence_report.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{scottndliterature, author = {Scott, Kate}, title = {{A Literature Review on Sustainable Lifestyles and Recommendations for Further Research}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/sei_sustainable_lifestyles_evidence_report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }