Changing consumption patterns and CO2 reduction

Today, most countries are facing national CO2 targets focused on production and direct energy use. However, two important driving forces are increased consumption and changing consumption patterns. In this paper we analyse the impact from household consumption on CO2 emissions. Household energy use is taken into account, as is the consumption of commodities and services produced by industry. Based on Danish data we estimate the CO2 impact from different commodities. Further, we analyse the impact of changes in commodity mix in Danish household consumption in the period from 1966 to 1992. The results show that the change in commodity mix has been insufficient to compensate for the overall growth in Danish consumption. Further, we see that the consumption of food is a main contributor to overall Danish CO2 emissions.