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Consumption and the Environment in Europe

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Trends and emerging issues -Environmentally significant consumption clusters

• 2.1 A century of change
• 2.2 Food
  • 2.2.1 Influences on food consumption and its environmental impacts
  • 2.2.2 Consumption trends
  • 2.2.3 Environmental effects of food consumption trends
• 2.3 Household energy consumption
  • 2.3.1 Influences on household energy consumption
  • 2.3.2 Household energy consumption trends
  • 2.3.3 Environmental effects of household energy trends
• 2.4 Personal travel
  • 2.4.1 Influences on personal travel
  • 2.4.2 Personal travel trends
  • 2.4.3 Environmental effects of travel trends

3 The Context: Demography, Economy and Technology

• 3.1 Demography
  • 3.1.1 Population growth and migration
  • 3.1.2 Urbanisation
  • 3.1.3 Ageing
• 3.2 The Economic Context
  • 3.2.1 Supply of goods and services
  • 3.2.2 The job market
  • 3.2.3 Savings and credit
  • 3.2.4 Resource efficiency and technological innovation
• 3.3 Linking technology and consumption

4 Understanding Cultures of Consumption

• 4.1 Individual motivation, habit and need
• 4.2 Consumption as a collective phenomenon
  • 4.2.1 Positional consumption
  • 4.2.2 Conformity
  • 4.2.3 Lock-in and "ordinary" consumption
  • 4.2.4 Consumption, symbolism and identity
• 4.3 Collective discourse and personal taste
• 4.4 Social and cultural change in consumption scenarios

5 Consumption outlooks

• 5.1 Economic projections
  • 5.1.1 Demographic and Economic Outlook
  • 5.1.2 Personal travel
  • 5.1.3 Residential Energy Use
  • 5.1.4 Changes in electricity use
  • 5.1.5 Food consumption
  • 5.1.6 Implications for consumption and the environment
• 5.2 Alternative scenarios
  • 5.2.1 Technology in consumption scenarios
  • 5.2.2 Culture in consumption scenarios
  • 5.2.3 Potential for a shift towards sustainable consumption
• 5.3. Implications for sustainable consumption strategies

6 Conclusions

7 Annex: Three Alternative Consumption Scenarios

• 7.1 Individualist Europe
• 7.2 Traditional Europe
• 7.3 Egalitarian Europe

8 References

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Version 1.0 November 2004, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency