Household action can play major role in climate change fight - study

Encouraging people in North America and Sub-Saharan Africa to adopt a low-carbon lifestyle could help to cut global household emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide by up to two-fifths, a new study reveals.

Researchers have identified 21 low-carbon actions that, if adopted by the top 23.7% of global emitters, could reduce global carbon footprints by 10.4 gigatons of CO₂ equivalent - some 40.1% of household consumption-based emissions in the 116 countries analysed.

The international research team found that North America shows substantial reduction potential, while some Sub-Saharan African countries - such as Mauritius, Namibia, and Chad - present unexpected mitigation possibilities.

Steps which households could take to create the maximum impact in reducing carbon levels include:

• Reducing the use of commercial services (potential reduction of 10.9%)
• Shifting towards a healthy vegan diet, reducing consumption of animal-based food, sugar, and unhealthy processed food products (potential reduction of 8.3%)
• Implementing energy-efficient building standards, with a potential reduction of 6.0%)
• Moving from private vehicles to public transportation (potential reduction of 3.6%).
• Sharing and repairing home appliances (potential reduction of 3.0%)

Publishing their findings in Nature Communications, an international group of researchers reveal that the impact of changes in consumption patterns related to mobility and services could contribute 11.8% and 10.2% of emission reductions, respectively.

As the University of Birmingham prepares to contribute to this year’s COP30 environmental summit in Brazil, the experts note that North America shows substantial reduction potential, while some Sub-Saharan African countries present unexpected mitigation possibilities.

The corresponding author, Dr Yuli Shan, from, the University of Birmingham, commented: “Our study shows that adopting low-carbon lifestyles can play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change. By targeting high-emitting households, we can achieve significant carbon reductions and move closer to our global climate targets."

Researchers analysed household expenditure data targeting households exceeding the global per-capita average required to stay below 2 degrees Celsius - providing a comprehensive analysis of the carbon reduction potential of various low-carbon actions.

Dr. Yuru Guan, the first author of the study, commented: "This study, a key component of my doctoral thesis, demonstrates that adopting consumption-based low-carbon strategies is essential for climate mitigation." Dr Yuru Guan has recently received her doctoral degree from the University of Groningen and now works as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham.

Their findings underscore the importance of engaging consumers in addressing climate change -highlighting the need for equitable measures that target high emitters while supporting those facing barriers to low-carbon transitions, such as energy poverty.

The other corresponding author, Professor Klaus Hubacek, from the University of Groningen, commented: "This research provides valuable insights into the potential of lifestyle changes for reducing carbon footprints. It is crucial for policymakers to consider these findings and implement strategies that encourage sustainable consumption patterns."

ENDS

For more information, interviews or an embargoed copy of the research paper, please contact the University of Birmingham press office on pressoffice@contacts.bham.ac.uk or +44 (0) 121 414 2772.

Notes to editor:

• The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Our work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
• We are leading research to help mitigate and adapt to the risks and impacts associated with climate change. We are proud to have been awarded UNFCCC Observer Status, which means we are able to contribute to the vital discussions taking place at COP30. 
• Our research is addressing the reality of climate change through transforming health, environment, and society – sustainably supporting people and planet. We are working together with industry, academic and policy partners from across the globe to improve lives and livelihoods for all – to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards the 2030 Agenda.

About the research

• ‘Unlocking global carbon reduction potential by embracing low-carbon lifestyles’ - Yuru Guan, Yuli Shan, Ye Hang, Qingyun Nie, Yu Liu, Klaus Hubacek is published in Nature Communications.
• Participating institutions: University of Birmingham, UK; University of Groningen, Netherlands; Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications; and Peking University.
• The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Horizon Europe Project EU-CHINA-BRIDGE, Wellcome Trust, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek NOW, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Peking University, and the China Scholarship Council Ph.D. programme.