DEER: Demand-side measures to Enhance well-being and foster Environmental footprint Reduction. 01/10/2024 - 30/09/2028

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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Project type(s)

  • Research Project

Research and development on the topic of just transition 01/04/2024 - 15/09/2024

Abstract

In this project, we will develop of a Just Transition Blueprint for Belgium, based on the process of the Belgian National Conference on Just Transition, taking into account input from science, federal administrations, civil society, and citizens.

Researcher(s)

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

  • Research Project