Inge Røpke

The dynamics of willingness to consume

Abstract It is increasingly acknowledged that the growing consumption in the North constitutes an important part of global environmental problems. To improve the possibilities of dealing with this aspect of the problems, this paper explores some of the driving forces behind the growth in consumption. The first section introduces the environmental debate on consumption including the relationship between final consumption and the consumption of resources, the recent political acceptance of dealing with consumption, and the fundamental conditions for consumption growth in the North. In the following sections, a cross-disciplinary approach is applied in a broad search for the driving forces behind the willingness to consume. Throughout the exposition two questions are explored: (1) Why are productivity increases largely transformed into income increases instead of more leisure? (2) Why is such a large part of these income increases used for the consumption of goods and services with a relatively high materials-intensity instead of less material-intensive alternatives? The explanations are divided into three groups: first, the economic explanations, including socio-economic aspects related to the institutional set-up of the economy; second, socio-psychological explanations focusing on consumption from the perspective of the human being embedded in specific social relations; third, historical and socio-technological explanations focusing on different aspects of everyday life. The paper concludes with some reflections on the political implications of the analysis.

The Ecological Economics of Consumption

1. The Place of Consumption in Ecological Economics Part I: Problematizing-Consumption 2. Questionable Assumptions about Sustainable Consumption 3. The Society, its Products and the Environmental Role of Consumption 4. Work-related Consumption-Drivers and Consumption at Work Part II: Explaining Consumption 5. Beyond Insatiability - Needs Theory, Consumption and Sustainability 6. Changing Human Behaviour and Lifestyle: A Challenge for Sustainable Consumption? 7. Domestic Electricity Consumption - Consumers and Appliances 8. Sustainability in Everyday Life - A Matter of Time? Part III: Changing Consumption 9. Sustainable Consumption as a Consumer Policy Issue 10. Life Style Approaches as a Sustainable Consumption Policy 11. Community, Reflexivity and Sustainable Consumption 12. Macroeconomic Stability: Sustainable Development and Full Employment Index

New technology in everyday life - social processes and environmental impact.

Abstract In the environmental debate it is increasingly acknowledged that our way of life has profound environmental consequences. Therefore, it becomes ever more important to focus on and to understand how everyday life is formed and how it changes over time. Changing technology constitutes an important aspect, both of changes in everyday life and of the environmental impact of everyday-life activities. Technological change is often seen as an important part of the solutions to environmental problems, however, when technological change is seen from the perspective of everyday life, this image becomes more complex. In this paper, technological changes are explored from the perspective of consumption and everyday life, and it is argued that environmental impacts arise through the interplay of technology, consumption and everyday life. Firstly, because technological renewals form integral parts of several of the dynamic forces behind consumption and thus contribute to the growing quantities of consumption, which counteract the environmental improvements. Secondly, because some of the technological changes are integrated with the processes, which change everyday life more profoundly and thus influence the environment in the long run. The paper points to the need for further studies of the long-term interplay between new technologies, everyday life and the environment.

Energy impacts of ICT - Insights from an everyday life perspective

The environmental implications of information and communication technology (ICT) have been the subject of study since the early 1990s. Although previous research covers energy issues quite extensively, the treatment of the energy impacts of ICT integration in everyday life is still inadequate. The purpose of this paper is to complement the existing research by applying a perspective from which everyday life takes centre stage. A theoretical framework for describing and analysing the energy impacts of everyday life is outlined, based on a combination of practice theory and time geography. The framework is applied to a discussion of how ICT co-develops with changing everyday practices and energy-demanding features of everyday life. Based on empirical findings, it is explored how the use of ICT affects practices in relation to time and space, and it is argued that the changes may increase energy consumption considerably. The findings do not suggest that the integration of ICT in everyday practices inherently results in a more energy-intensive everyday life. ICTs have a great potential for reducing energy consumption, but the realisation of this depends on the wider economic and political conditions.

Clean technology — Innovation and environmental regulation

The development and diffusion of clean technologies has an important role to play in preventing pollution. Government must address the issue of how firms can be given the necessary incentive to develop environmentally sound production techniques and products. This paper focus on how subsidies can — under certain restrictive conditions — stimulate innovation. Subsidization is usually assumed to involve unit subsidies for pollution reduction. Unit subsidies have little to do with the subsidy schemes in actual use. Our focus is on subsidy schemes specifically designed to promote the development of clean technologies through the use of grants/financial aid. Based on data from the development projects initiated through The Danish Clean Technology Programme we analyze how environmental innovations take place when the polluters, their suppliers and consultants are actively engaged in the development processes. The main merit of subsidy schemes like the Danish one is its direct focus on the innovation processes and the active incorporation of the network of firms surrounding the polluters. Our findings lead us to conclude that when it comes to subsidization, the role of government should be redefined. Government can act as a “matchmaker” by providing firms with informative incentives and necessary contacts for finding more efficient technological solutions to specific environmental problems.

The environmental impact of changing consumption patterns: a survey.

How does environmental impact change when national income increases? So far, this question has been mainly discussed from the point of view of production, but in recent years several studies have dealt with the question of decoupling from the point of view of consumption. The optimistic subscribers to decoupling argue that, with increasing income, the composition of consumption changes in the direction of more environment-friendly goods and services. This paper discusses this hypothesis critically on the basis of several studies dealing with historical experience. First, it is argued that an overall assessment of the environmental impact is most appropriately based on an input approach. Then data on input intensities for different categories of consumption goods are combined with data on changes in consumption patterns, and it is concluded that the historical changes in the composition of consumption seem to have done little to counterbalance the environmental effects of growth.

Consumption dynamics and technological change—exemplified by the mobile phone and related technologies

Abstract The present paper deals with the dynamics underlying the consumption of new commodities, especially mobile phones, which are among the fastest growing categories of consumption goods in recent years. The paper is based on a research project regarding households’ first-time acquisition of new consumer goods. The project was basically motivated by environmental and distributional concerns, and the purpose is first to reveal some important consumption dynamics at work on the micro level, and second to investigate how respondent families use new technologies, and how these are eventually integrated into gradual changes of everyday life, thereby influencing consumption dynamics and environmental impacts of everyday life in the longer term. The exposition of empirical findings is organised according to a theoretical framework outlining the acquisition and domestication processes, a framework that has emerged through the analytical process. The study illustrates how consumption drives are deeply embedded in the considerations, themes and complexities of everyday life, showing few signs of satiation in the short term. Moreover, our findings on domestication indicate that some environmentally costly trends in everyday life appear to continue.

Is consumption becoming less material? The case of services

The need to develop more sustainable consumption patterns in the rich countries is being increasingly realised. Some people hope that the consumption patterns will change, almost by themselves, in a more sustainable direction, because consumers come to a certain degree of satiation with material goods and therefore demand non-material services. The present article questions this idea in two ways. First, some characteristic features of the development of private consumption are outlined, which can help to explain why few signs of satiation can yet be seen. There follows a detailed discussion of whether it is realistic to expect a shift to the types of service that have a less damaging environmental impact. Historically, the increase in public services has been a positive change in this respect, whereas the contribution from private services has been limited. Future possibilities of increasing environmentally benign services meet serious limitations, so active policies are needed to overcome these.

Bathroom Transformation: From Hygiene to Well-Being?

ABSTRACT Western bathroom standards, which have long been dominated by ideas of hygiene, seem to be in the process of change. Whereas transformations of kitchens have been well studied, little attention has been directed towards the contemporary development of bathrooms. This article provides a case study of the transformation in design, use, and meaning of Danish bathrooms, drawing lines back in history but focusing mainly on current changes. The bathroom is seen as a complex arena where many different forces interact. The study applies the regime concept to organize the story and outlines the developments in physical frameworks, practices, and images. It is based on a combination of literature survey, review of magazine and media coverage, visits to exhibitions, and qualitative interviews. The article outlines changes in Danish bathrooms and analyzes how new trends appear in relation to actual bathroom renovations. In particular, the notion of well-being is highlighted as challenging existing hygiene ideas.

Ecological macroeconomics: implications for the roles of consumer-citizens

(27/07/2019) Ecological macroeconomics: Implications for the roles of consumer-citizens The economic decline that began in 2008 opened a window of opportunity for consideration about how to combine macroecononomic and environmental concerns. This discussion is far from new, as evidenced, for instance, by the European Commission’s White Paper from 1993, which explained how a greening of the economy could go hand in hand with increased employment (European Commission, 1993). These ideas were not reflected much in actual policies, and – despite some green elements – the subsequent economic upturn was driven first of all by consumption, and in several affluent countries, fueled by credit expansion. The current revival of this discussion includes contributions from actors involved with efforts to advance a ‘Green New Deal’ (The Green New Deal Group, 2008; Schepelmann et al., 2009) that repeats the idea that the promotion of green innovation and government funding of greener infrastructure would improve competitiveness and increase employment.