Panel Lémanique

Identifying change levers towards low-carbon lifestyles.

Switzerland, like other European countries, is facing a climate emergency. Several local authorities, including the cantons of Geneva and Vaud, have even declared a “state of climate emergency” for their territory, which implies a very strong reorientation of public policies. Part of the way could be done thanks to low carbon. Nevertheless, to reach the objectives set by the COP21 in the framework of the Paris agreements, it will also be necessary to rely on a major transformation of lifestyles. The transformation of lifestyles concerns all spheres of activity, in particular mobility, heating and food consumption.

Various studies have shown the crucial importance of three areas in particular with regard to the carbon footprint, namely transport, food and housing, which together are responsible for about 70% of the emissions per inhabitant. While the most emitting items in households are increasingly well defined, the means to reduce emissions and the levers to change current behaviors and lifestyles have yet to be defined and activated. Therefore, the main research importance of this panel is to identify the change levers towards low carbon lifestyles in the Lake Geneva region.

This panel will focus on 11’000+ households spread across the Greater Geneva region.

I am contributing to this research with my doctoral project – Unraveling transformative change towards sustainability: The intertwined roles of agency and interventions in social tipping points.