GILDED

"Governance, Infrastructure, Lifestyle Dynamics and Energy Demand: European Post-Carbon Communities"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'In Europe, about 35% of all primary energy use and 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from private households. While technological innovation can make low-carbon energy sources economically and environmentally viable, their impact in reducing carbon-intensive energy use will depend critically on broad public and political commitment to such a reduction. GILDED will target socio-economic, cultural and political influences on individual and household energy consumption through five regional case studies. Each case study focuses on a medium-sized city along with nearby rural areas. Investigating individuals’ lifestyle choices and their understanding of energy issues will provide insights into patterns of energy-related behaviours characterising emergent lifestyle types, and the particular drivers impacting on consumption decisions. The social, cultural and political contexts in which these behaviours are embedded will be addressed through analysis of the structural factors and actors (from local to EU level), including governance networks, physical environments, and materialized and institutionalized transport and provisioning networks. This combined ‘top down’ and ‘bottom-up’ perspective on household consumption will be utilised to inform the analysis of an energy-reduction initiative or experiment in each case study region, in which stakeholder advisory groups guide the selection of an intervention of particular local relevance. Principles derived from the lifestyle, structural and initiative studies will be utilised to structure agent-based models of policy implementation and change response. Resultant policy recommendations will describe the necessary changes at systemic level that need to be initiated in order to develop an environmentally-friendly European model of energy policies that respond to the expectations and needs of European cities and rural communities.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

What can European citizens do to help reduce carbon-intensive energy use? The answer: far more than we realise. Case studies show that behavioural changes toward unsustainable use and the wasting of energy can play a fundamental role in affecting climate change.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Private households in Europe constitute roughly 35% of energy use and 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore evident that public and political commitment is required to reduce carbon-intensive energy use. The Gilded project funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) has targeted socio-economic, cultural and political influences in order to help reduce individual and household energy consumption.

Five regional case studies are currently underway. Each focuses on a medium-sized city and its adjoining rural areas. The lifestyle choices of individuals and their understanding of energy issues was examined through surveys and questionnaires to illustrate patterns of energy-related behaviour and how they impact consumption.

To date the project objectives are several. Included is the need to identify system changes necessary to enable more environmentally friendly European energy policies. It was also crucial that the research findings are relevant and can be disseminated to the public as well as policy makers.

The study is set for completion in November 2011. The final results will have a number of impacts ranging from a household level to policy integration.