The researchers argue that while much attention has been paid to energy poverty and helping low-income households increase their consumption to meet basic needs, not enough focus has been placed on curbing excessive consumption among wealthy households.
Evidence shows the richest 10% of households globally are responsible for around 49% of total carbon emissions. More focus needs to be placed on reducing greenhouse gas emissions among this group to enable a more even distribution of resources.
The study explores the emotional, social, cultural, and structural factors that drive and lock households into patterns of environmentally damaging high consumption.
Researchers aim to take a non-judgmental approach to understand why it is so difficult for many wealthy households to reduce their consumption levels.
Professor Aimee Ambrose, Professor of Energy Policy at Sheffield Hallam University said: "Conspicuous consumption by the wealthy is a key driver of climate change, yet there has been limited research and policy attention on this issue. Achieving an inclusive post-carbon society relies on some groups consuming less to free up resources for others.
"We need insights into the lived experiences of high-consuming households. Only by understanding what keeps them consuming at ever increasing levels and the perceived benefits and drawbacks this brings to them can we develop progressive interventions that break the trajectory of every escalating consumption."
The research aims to inform policies and initiatives aimed at transitioning societies toward more sustainable consumption levels and to identify opportunities for consumption reductions among the wealthy that are broadly acceptable and improve their sense of wellbeing.
