Abstract
This project builds further on the work done for the CE Center (Circular Economy Policy Research
Center) regarding the downscaling of the material footprint target for Flanders to specific products,
processes and needs. This work is currently elaborated by the STEN group in Ghent University (led
by Professor Dewulf) in collaboration with the EnvEcon group of University of Antwerp (led by
Professor Van Passel).
The project will also keep close ties with the E4BE project (Brain-Belspo) on a just and acceptable
climate tax shift for Belgium, for which professor Bachus is one of the co-promoters.
In addition, the project has linkages to parts of two Horizon Europe projects that Prof. Bleys and Dr.
Silvi work on, namely: ToBe (Towards a sustainable wellbeing economy: integrated policies and
transformative indicators) and MERGE (Measuring what matters: Improving usability and accessibility
of policy frameworks and indicators for multidimensional well-being through collaboration).
To mitigate climate change, a fast reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is required. Although
currently changes in the supply side have attracted most attention, these measures are insufficient
to deliver on the Paris agreement goals. Recent research featured in the latest IPCC report highlights
the potential of demand-side measures. Such measures target changes in consumption patterns and
can complement current supply side measures, reducing emissions up to 40 to 70% by 2050.
The link between our consumption and well-being is not straightforward. Consumption corridors
provide a floor level given by a sufficient level of human need fulfilment, and a ceiling level, above
which consumption is unsustainable. Some consumption corridors have already been calculated, but
most of these are examples of one product fulfilling only one human need. In addition, which
demand-side measures would be required to move within these consumption corridors and how they
could be implemented has not been assessed yet.
In the DEER project, the effects of demand-side measures on human well-being will be analysed
from an environmental, social, economic and policy perspectives. For this, the literature on human
needs will be reviewed linking the different human needs to their required products. Products/
services related to thermal comfort and mobility in the region of Flanders will be selected. Sufficiency
levels for the human needs will be defined and quantified. Applicable demand-side measures will be
identified and their impact on carbon and material footprints of the selected needs will be assessed.
In parallel, for the selected demand-side measures, economic and social assessments will be
performed, including the analysis of consumers' willingness to adapt. Lastly, the demand-side
measures will be fit in policy instruments and mixes that can achieve optimal environmental
effectiveness while minimising undesirable side effects will be assessed and presented as policy
recommendations.
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