Quantifying the energy and emissions implications of consumption redistribution in the United Kingdom through sustainable consumption corridors

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9br7-2026-02-13_14_52_44-s41598-025-01495-0.pdf

OPEN Quantifying the energy and emissions implications of consumption redistribution in the United Kingdom through sustainable consumption corridors

Reducing inequality to ensure decent living standards alongside climate mitigation, are frequently posited as dual goals of a just transition. Energy sufficiency has received attention as a solution to these crises, but there has been limited exploration of the impact sufficiency principles could have on energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing this gap, we utilize a consumption-corridor approach to develop three redistributive scenarios of final consumption for the United Kingdom. Each scenario ensures all households meet essential needs and facilitates social participation, whilst varying the level of consumption redistribution. These scenarios are modeled using the United Kingdom Multi-Regional Input Output model to estimate the impact of redistribution on the consumption-based energy and emissions footprints of thirteen household types. We find that reductions in consumption inequality can support reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, but only if the consumption of higher-income consumers is limited to near equality in expenditure. We also find significant shifts in the composition of consumption resulting from redistribution that may support climate mitigation, such as reduced car use and flying, particularly in scenarios where higher household consumption is curtailed. We conclude that economic inequality must be integrated into climate mitigation modeling to develop effective solutions.

Energy demand reduction is essential for climate change mitigation

Reducing global energy demand is essential to de-risking the climate mitigation targets outlined in the Paris Agreement. Demand reduction carries fewer environmental risks than supply-side technologies, it reduces reliance on speculative future capabilities of carbon dioxide removal technologies, and can support a high or improved quality of life. It is also essential to national mitigation pathways, particularly in wealthier nations with high energy use. In the United Kingdom, a review of mitigation scenarios suggested that, at a minimum, energy demand in twenty fifty would have to be reduced by at least forty percent to achieve climate targets without unrealistic levels of carbon dioxide removal, with others indicating reductions of up to fifty percent could be desirable. Whilst essential to climate and ecological goals and capable of increasing wellbeing, if energy demand reduction is enacted without attention to social or energy justice, interventions could negatively impact levels of inequality and wellbeing in society.

Considering inequality in the climate mitigation transition

The need to ensure minimal needs are achieved

Research design

Results Some households' consumption distributions are more unequal than others

Consumption-based energy use and GHG footprints of redistributive scenarios

Minimum Income Standard (MIS) scenario

Eliminating Poverty scenario

Consumption corridor scenario

Discussion

Can consumption corridors help guide sustainable redistribution?

Limitations and future research

Methods

The UK multi-regional input-output model

Building redistributive consumption corridor final demand scenarios

Baseline scenario: current consumption inequality

Scenario one: Minimum Income Standard scenario

Scenario two: eliminating poverty scenario

Scenario three: consumption corridor scenario

Data availability

Author contributions

Declarations

Overview

The research examines how reducing consumption inequality among households in the UK can lead to significant reductions in energy use and emissions, underpinning the need for integrating economic inequality into climate mitigation strategies. It presents various scenarios and their implications for achieving sustainable living standards without exceeding ecological limits.

Key Points

1Reducing consumption inequality can lower greenhouse gas emissions and energy use
2The consumption-corridor approach models the impact of resource redistribution
3Higher-income consumption must be curtailed to achieve equity in expenditure
4Energy demand reductions are essential for meeting climate targets
5The study highlights the socio-economic dimensions of climate justice and fair resource allocation.

Details

Authors: Sam Betts-Davies, Jonathan Norman, Anne Owen, John Barrett, Paul Brockway
Category: Environmental Studies

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