On the 22nd of April, Lund University held the first out of five planned Workshops about Rebound Effects of 1.5°C lifestyles.
The workshop was hosted at the International Institute of Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) in Lund. Another four workshops are taking place in May and June 2023 in Germany, Hungary, Latvia, and Spain. These workshops have the purpose of improving our understanding of unintended consequences (rebound effects) that a shift towards 1.5° Lifestyles can bring. In order to better understand how these unintended consequences can be avoided, Lund University invited 17 individuals who have made a substantial reduction in carbon emissions in their lifestyle based on voluntary actions, with the ambition to learn from their experiences.
Together, the participants and researchers enjoyed a full-day of group discussions and exercises, where they got to share how they have managed rebound effects in their lives together with others who have made similar lifestyle changes. The discussions were centered around four behavior changes (give up car, give up flying, give up meat, and give up living space) with large carbon reduction potential. With the help of a ‘Cause and Effect Diagram’ developed by project researchers from Lund University, the workshop was able to illustrate and capture the participants' stories, while simultaneously comparing these with current scientific literature about rebound effects. The participants got to explore and identify the causes and the effects of their experiences, which resulted in some fruitful and engaging discussions.
The participants also showed a lot of interest in the topics addressed, and their collaboration provided valuable knowledge to the 1.5° Lifestyles project. The results of the workshop will be used to develop long and short term risk reduction and mitigation strategies for rebound effects and social risks.
Source of pictures: EU 1.5° Lifestyles consortium partners ©