- Home
- Publications
- Policy Briefings
The potential of behavioural change for achieving climate change mitigation targets in the European Union
Keywords: Climate Change, Mitigation Targets ,Energy,
Author(s): Dirk-Jan van de Ven, Mikel Gonzalez-Eguino and Iñaki Arto
Date: 2018-12-01
Issue: 2017-03
Download this Policy Briefings
(444 KB.)
-Given the large challenge of reducing EU GHG emissions by 80-95% by 2050, green behaviour should be encouraged together with green technologies.
-Rigorous and instant behavioural change could mitigate up to one third of targeted greenhouse gas
reductions until 2050, whereas more realistic and gradual changes in behaviour could reduce the burden by 20 to 25% without any upfront investment costs.
-Green behaviour in the form of changing preferences and attitudes in food, mobility and housing demand can yield multiple co-benefits: (i) improving personal health and wellbeing, (ii) improving society health by reducing ambient air pollution, (iii) significantly reducing GHG emissions
related to avoiding deforestation and energy production outside the European Union, (iv) improving energy and food security within the European Union, (v) reducing animal suffering in husbandry industries.