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Using a Rebound Matrix to Estimate Consumption Changes from Saving and its Environmental Impact in Japan
Author(s) -
Kawajiri Kotaro,
Tabata Tomohiro,
Ihara Tomohiko
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1111/jiec.12275
Subject(s) - consumption (sociology) , economics , greenhouse gas , rebound effect (conservation) , agricultural economics , environmental science , natural resource economics , industrial ecology , energy consumption , sustainability , engineering , social science , sociology , electrical engineering , biology , ecology
Summary We investigate the extent to which Japanese people can change their consumption and the corresponding environmental impact. We propose a new analytical framework with a rebound matrix that captures the monetary flow from potential savings to their respending (referred to as rebound). A questionnaire is used to derive the matrix. On average, respondents spent 3.4 million Yen annually, resulting in 12.4 tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in their daily lives. The survey results suggest that acceptable spending reductions would correspond to a CO 2 emissions reduction of nearly 6%. However, the CO 2 emissions would increase by nearly the same amount when the respondents respend their savable money (rebound CO 2 emissions). The annual CO 2 emissions and the annually reducible CO 2 emissions both increase with the increase in annual expenditure. Consequently, the net CO 2 emissions also increase with the increase in annual expenditure. The rebound spending is approximated using the rebound matrix. Finally, it is suggested that the net CO 2 emissions can be reduced through lifestyle changes whereby spending on energy items is reduced and the resulting savings are spent on telecommunication, clothes, shoes, education, and housing.