The impact of individual actions, motivations and knowledge on reducing consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract

Limiting global warming to 1.5 ℃ requires rapid, systemic and sustainable changes across all sectors within this decade. Current climate policies primarily emphasize the role of technological innovations and decarbonization measures, while paying limited attention to behavioural change. The aim of this dissertation is to enhance the understanding of the role and impact of individual behaviour and decisions on the reduction of consumption based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This dissertation assesses the greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential of voluntary individual actions, examine the climate actions implemented by individuals and the motivations behind them, and evaluate the level of knowledge among individuals regarding the effectiveness of personal actions in mitigating climate change.

This dissertation consists of four publications based on quantitative data from surveys and a mobile application combined with GHG emissions calculations from 2021–2024. To evaluate the impact of individual behaviours on consumption-based GHG emissions, survey and mobile data on consumption patterns, carbon footprint knowledge, and the willingness to act are analysed alongside individual GHG emissions data. The scientific contribution of this dissertation lies in its analytical approach, which integrates survey based consumption data with carbon footprint assessments and GHG emissions reduction calculations.

The findings demonstrate the importance of both behavioural change and technological development in terms of achieving sufficient GHG emissions reductions. Individuals are willing to implement climate actions, but their current efforts are mostly low-impact, inadequate and limited to short-term actions. Actions which are perceived as easy and requiring minimal or little lifestyle changes remain the most common. Individuals have challenges to assess the effectiveness of climate actions due to a low level of carbon footprint knowledge, highlighting the need for increased awareness of the climate impact of different actions. A transition to sustainable lifestyles demands not only individual engagement but also policy support. The findings provide insights for shaping future climate mitigation policies toward behavioural perspectives and clarifying the role of individuals in enabling a low-carbon future.