Climate policy could learn from people who already live within the limits of sufficiency
Tina Nyfors, who recently defended her doctoral thesis at the University of Helsinki, studied sufficiency, a way of living and a principle for organizing society to stay within environmental limits while ensuring that people have enough. Nyfors directs attention to people whose carbon footprint is already in line with sufficiency and refers to them as the sufficiency class. Their way of life has…
Tina Nyfors, who recently defended her doctoral thesis at the University of Helsinki, explored the concept of sufficiency as a way of living that keeps consumption within environmental limits while ensuring adequate living standards. She identified a group she called the "sufficiency class," individuals whose carbon footprint is already in line with sufficiency, consuming moderately yet meeting their needs.
Nyfors emphasizes that sufficiency is not merely about reduction but involves people already living within or near the limits of sufficiency. This suggests that a balance exists between two boundaries: the "sufficiency corridor." Above this upper boundary are those who consume excessively (the overconsuming class), while below the lower boundary are those who cannot afford basic needs (the struggling class).
The Finnish climate policy debate tends to focus on only one of these limits—ensuring no one's standard of living falls below a minimum level—and pays little attention to the upper environmental limit. Nyfors studied two approaches to implementing sufficiency in society: through climate policy by governments and international bodies, as well as through environmental movements, using the Finnish sufficiency movement Kohtuusliike as a case study.
Tailoring climate policies to different income groups can translate sufficiency into policy tools. For high-carbon consumers and the ultra-rich, policies can steer consumption towards low-carbon options, such as public transportation and a more vegetarian or vegan diet. For the poor, policies should ensure basic needs are met, while for the sufficiency class, policies should support sustainable choices.
However, challenges exist in the acceptance of sufficiency policies that address overconsumption. Environmental movements like Kohtuusliike can play a crucial role by providing new insights for policy tools, challenging cultural norms, and highlighting people who already live within sufficiency limits.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
