Households as role models for sustainable consumption - The case of local climate dialogues in two Swedish Towns

摘要

The research problem addressed concerns the interplay between households as consumers, and local governments as policy makers and service providers. Mainly based on interviews with selected households, the paper explores the activities, results and potential long-term gains of a climate dialogue project undertaken in two Swedish towns. The findings are interpreted in terms of Spaargaren and Oosterveer's ideal types of the consumer as ecological citizen, political consumer and moral agent. The main finding is that although the immediate gains in terms of GHG reduction are small, such projects may function as triggers of future change towards more sustainable policies and everyday practices.