Nature Energy intl_tech D1

发布：2026-05-28 · 事件：2026-05-28

Subjects Climate-change mitigation Energy conservation Human behaviour Social policy Sociology Abstract People with high socioeconomic status disproportionally affect energy-driven greenhouse gas emis...

Subjects Climate-change mitigation Energy conservation Human behaviour Social policy Sociology Abstract People with high socioeconomic status disproportionally affect energy-driven greenhouse gas emissions directly through their consumption and indirectly through their financial and social resources. However, few climate change mitigation initiatives have targeted this population segment, and the potential of such initiatives remains insufficiently researched. In this Perspective, we analyse key characteristics of high-socioeconomic-status people and explore five roles through which they have a disproportionate impact on energy-driven greenhouse gas emissions and potentially on climate change mitigation, namely as consumers, investors, role models, organizational participants and citizens. We examine what is known about their disproportionate impact via consumption and explore their potential influence on greenhouse gas emissions through all five roles. We suggest that future research should focus on strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by high-socioeconomic-status people and to align their investments, organizational choices and actions as social and political change agents with climate change mitigation goals. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access options Access through your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 € / 30 days cancel any time Learn more Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles 111,21 € per year only 9,27 € per issue Learn more Buy this article Purchase on SpringerLink Instant access to the full article PDF. 39,95 € Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Fig. 1: Five roles through which people of high SES can influence GHG emissions. The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI. Fig. 2: Links from SES to actions with high climate footprints. The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI. Similar content being viewed by others Widespread misestimates of greenhouse gas emissions suggest low carbon competence Article 21 June 2024 The role of socio-demographic and psychological factors in shaping individual carbon footprints in Finland Article Open access 14 November 2024 Near-term transition and longer-term physical climate risks of greenhouse gas emissions pathways Article 13 December 2021 References IPCC, 2018: Summary for Policymakers. In Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty (eds Masson-Delmotte, V. et al.) In Press. Dietz, T., Gardner, G. T., Gilligan, J., Stern, P. C. & Vandenbergh, M. P. Household actions can provide a behavioral wedge to rapidly reduce US carbon emissions. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106 , 18452–18456 (2009). Article Google Scholar Frank, R. H. Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work (Princeton Univ. Press, 2020). Nielsen, K. S. et al. How psychology can help limit climate change. Am. Psychol. 76 , 130–144 (2021). Article Google Scholar Creutzig, F. et al. Beyond technology: demand-side solutions for climate change mitigation. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 41 , 173–198 (2016). Article Google Scholar Capstick, S. et al. UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2020 ; 62–75 (UNEP, 2020) https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/34432 York, R. Environmental consequences of moral disinhibition. Socius https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023117719612 (2017). Werfel, S. H. Household behaviour crowds out support for climate change policy when sufficient progress is perceived. Nat. Clim. Change 7 , 512–515 (2017). Article Google Scholar Supran, G. & Oreskes, N. Assessing ExxonMobil’s climate change communications. Environ. Res. Lett. 12 , 084019 (2017). Article Google Scholar Lamb, W. F. et al. Discourses of climate delay. Glob. Sustain . https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2020.13 (2020). Oswald, Y., Owen, A. & Steinberger, J. K. Large inequality in international and intranational energy footprints between income groups and across consumption categories. Nat. Energy 5 , 231–239 (2020). Article Google Scholar Chancel, L. & Piketty, T. Carbon and Inequality: from Kyoto to Paris (Paris School of Economics, 2015) http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/ChancelPiketty2015.pdf Wiedmann, T., Lenzen, M., Keyßer, L. T. & Steinberger, J. K. Scientists’ warning on affluence. Nat. Commun. 11 , 3107 (2020). Article Google Scholar Wright, E. O. Understanding Class (Verso Books, 2015). Farah, M. J. The neuroscience of socioeconomic status: correlates, causes, and consequences. Neuron 96 , 56–71 (2017). Article Google Scholar Campbell, K. E., Marsde