Sustainable Lifestyles of middle classes in India and Germany a joint CANSA - Germanwatch project Indian Pavilion Side Event, 13 Dec 2018 Rixa Schwarz, Germanwatch
Sustainable lifestyles for the transformation • The Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals help define the pathways for a paradigm shift towards a sustainable future Some guiding questions on sustainable lifestyles: - How can this paradigm shift be supported by compatible sustainable lifestyles? - Which values can foster or support sustainable lifestyles? - Which frameworks could foster sustainable lifestyles? - How does/should the UNFCCC process support sustainable lifestyles?
What are sustainable lifestyles? • Literature-based definition focusing on environmental sustainability • 5 areas: buildings, electricity, heating and cooling; air and road transportation; food and nutrition; consumption (fashion and leisure & tourism) and investments • No prescription of a fixed lifestyle but rather a protfolio of different principles, leading to options for selected combinations to define the personal lifestyle • Observation in the Indian context: lifestyles are a marketing / advertisement topic; people are seen as consumers – a more people-centric research would be required – compared to German social studies 3
Lifestyle / Consumption Choices • In the socio-economic versus environment conflict, the socio-economic interests tend to win („ others do it too “) • Main influences on our comsumption choices – our peers, aspirations and status symbles – norms and trends – advertisment & marketing – individual self-fulfilment • Social comparison can lead to perceived poverty; perceived poverty can lead to materialism • Voluntary simplicity – only the rich & educated, not the middle classes
Socio-economic and cultural circumstances Germany India 24 th of April, Germany reached its • • faces a dilemma in striving for national overshoot day for the year sustainable development along with 2017 fastest growing economy aspiring a 10% GDP/yr growth to provide stable • Energiewende, climate targets, SDG livelihoods and employment. implementation through Sustainable Development Strategy • NDC, aims at low emissions intensity of the GDP by 33 to 35 %; increase the • in regard to personal lifestyles, some share of non-fossil based power Germans explore niches of sustainable generation capacity to 40 % and at living like in transition towns create additional carbon sink of 2.5 – 3 • Lifestyle change is often avoided by the GtCO2e by 2030 trust in improved technologies that will • Indians were the top-scoring do the job environmentally sustainable consumers • Parliamentary Study Commission on in the 2014 National growth, wellbeing and quality of life Geographic/GlobeScan Consumer Greendex
Selected area: Mobility Germany India • In 2015, India showed a low car ownership of • road towards the German only 32 cars /1,000 people but now middle class Indian’s aspiration is to own car. “ Verkehrswende ” is still long • The general preference is a SUV as it offers • Car country Germany : 684 cars per comfort and safety – considering that 18% of the 1000 Germans in 2017; hybrid world’s road deaths occur in India with 1% of the world’s cars vehicles and electro mobility far • Small segment cars such as Tata Nano is an from mainstream attempt to address aspiration along with • public transportation , railways, pollution, space and prestige issues . inter-city bus connections • Public transport exist in only 65 cities • GoI also announced an ambitious target of all- • Car sharing : 15 000 users in 150 electric vehicle sales by 2030. cities • ambitious target shows that the gradual • Bicycles : carrier bikes, “Cycle dependence on the fossil fuel combustion engine is bound to decrease Autobahn” • Sustainability in transport systems is priority like taking off old commercial vehicles from road, imposing environment cess of INR 2,000 on entry, etc… • City planning experiments with dedicated lanes for pedestrian and bicycles
10 suggestions for the German and Indian urban middle classes Germany • Avoid short air travels completely (take the train or bus), if long-distance flights are unavoidable offset the emissions • Switch to a provider of renewable electricity • Insulate your building properly and reduce the rooms’ heating temperature • Own no/ a small and economical car, use car-sharing and public transportation , bike, skateboard or walk short distances • Switch to a regional, seasonal and organic diet ; eat less/no meat and dairy produce • Choose your bank according to sustainability criteria and make sustainable investments, e.g. in solar energy • Live in a smaller and comfortable living space • Opt for energy-efficient appliances and use them only when needed • Increase your political Handprint by engaging in society for sustainable development (critical thinking & engagement) • Halve your working time – less income, less consumption, more time
10 suggestions for the German and Indian urban middle classes India • Stick to a diet of fresh, seasonal and regional, organic vegetables and fruit, lentils and beans, little/no meat and dairy produce • If possible, go for renewable energy - and use efficient appliances even more wisely – e.g. your AC (combine it with fan) • Use public transport or car pool as much as possible, bike or walk short distances – alternatively reduce your commuting distance and opt for a safe but small car • Minimize water usage and collect grey water and use it to flush toilets or mop floors • Improve your and your city’s waste management : refuse, reduce, reuse, re- and upcycle, etc. • Join ecotourism : avoid in-country flights (offsets for international flights), chose eco hotels/resorts, keep Indian ecotourism standards and help ecotourism establish itself • Increase your Handprint by engaging in society for sustainable development • Stick to a medium-sized living space , preferably in a climate-fit designed building • Remain at a largely sustainable consumption level by avoiding fast-fashion and quick exchange of electronics , incl. smart phones, to newer models • Keep your sense for efficient use of resources and materials also by sharing items
Drivers of sustainable lifestyles 1. Information and communication o Education , framing, terminology, labels, Handprint 2. Citizen empowerment and platforms for cooperation o peer-to-peer learning, repair café, co-living, co-working 3. Eco design and social standards for sustainable living o Transformational eco design, eco design awards, green design architecture 4. Innovative business models for sustainable lifestyles o incubation centres and start-ups 5. Regulation and policy interventions o Nudging, incentives, policies, subsidies, taxes
Features of a sustainable-lifestyle economy Germany India Economy of efficiency Economy of substitution Economy of sufficiency Circular economy Sharing / collaborative economy Repair economy Regional economy
Where are the challenges in Germany? • Myth: technology as the only required solution to climate change • the inclined plane („die schiefe Ebene“, Weizsäcker) • Too little political attention to lifestyles and on policies fostering them 11
Thanks! Rixa Schwarz: schwarz@germanwatch.org rixa.schwarz@ceegermany.org Decrease your footprint Increase your Handprint
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