Consumers in the richer, developed nations will have to accept restrictions on their energy use if international climate change targets are to be met, warn researchers.
The big challenge is to identify the fairest and most equitable way that governments can curtail energy use, a process known as energy demand reduction. Writing in the journal Nature Energy, the research team - led by Milena Büchs, Professor of Sustainable Welfare at the University of Leeds - analysed several scenarios to identify a potential solution.
One option is to cap the top 20% of energy users while allowing those people who use little energy and have poverty-level incomes to be able to increase their consumption levels and improve their quality of life.
Top 20% Energy Users Capped in Effort to Reduce Carbon Emissions
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Higher carbon tax on luxury goods, say researchers
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