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trends and future of sustainable development - TransEco

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MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM CONSUMPTION– TWO-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH IN DEFINING ADECENT LIFESTYLEMichael Lettenmeier, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment <strong>and</strong> Energy,michael.lettenmeier@wupperinst.orgSatu Lähteenoja, D-mat ltd., satu@d-mat.fiTuuli Hirvilammi, Kela, Research Department, tuuli.hirvilammi@kela.fiKristiina Aalto, National Consumer Research Centre, kristiina.aalto@ncrc.fiSenja Laakso, Helsinki University, Department <strong>of</strong> Environmental Sciences,senja.laakso@helsinki.fiABSTRACT A decent, or sufficient, lifestyle is largely considered an important objective in terms <strong>of</strong>a <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>future</strong>. However, there can be strongly varying definitions <strong>of</strong> what a decent lifestylemeans. From a socio-economic sustainability point <strong>of</strong> view, a decent lifestyle can be defined as theminimum level <strong>of</strong> consumption ensuring an acceptable quality <strong>of</strong> life. From an ecological sustainabilitypoint <strong>of</strong> view, a decent lifestyle can be defined as a lifestyle that as a maximum consumes an amount <strong>of</strong>natural resources not exceeding the long-term carrying capacity <strong>of</strong> nature.The paper presents the natural resource consumption calculated for a number <strong>of</strong> decent lifestylesdefined by a consumer panel for people <strong>of</strong> different age <strong>and</strong> gender. The natural resource consumptionis calculated as material footprint. The results show that the material footprint based on the decentlifestyles is half <strong>of</strong> that <strong>of</strong> the average consumer. However, the material footprint is still about threetimes higher than long-term ecological sustainability would require. The paper discusses thisdiscrepancy <strong>and</strong> suggests steps for making <strong>future</strong> lifestyles more <strong>sustainable</strong>.1. IntroductionEnvironmental research about a <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>future</strong> evidently proves that the present level <strong>of</strong>consumption in Western countries is ecologically un<strong>sustainable</strong>. In order to reach a <strong>sustainable</strong> level,from the perspective <strong>of</strong> natural resources consumption, a roughly tenfold decrease is required (e.g.Schmidt-Bleek, 1993; Schmidt-Bleek, 2009). An ecologically <strong>sustainable</strong> lifestyle consumes naturalresources without exceeding the long-term carrying capacity <strong>of</strong> nature. In this paper, we call this<strong>sustainable</strong> consumption level "ecological maximum".202

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