20 February 2012: The Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) has reported on a new publication by the SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050 project, titled “Sustainable Lifestyles: Today’s Facts and Tomorrow’s Trends,” which analyzes challenges and promising practices for sustainable lifestyles in Europe.

The report presents a synthesis of practices, policies, research and views on current lifestyles and pathways for further improvement, with a specific focus on consumption, housing, transport and health. The report presents examples of unsustainable lifestyles, including high energy consumption related to food production, housing and transport, as well as current trends towards sustainability, including energy conservation and efficiency.

The report further provides recommendations for sustainability pathways at various levels and provides examples of opportunities for change regarding infrastructure, innovation, economics, research and policy frameworks. The report argues that successful sustainability initiatives go beyond a “one-size-fits-all’ approach and require investments in appropriate infrastructure and context-specific solutions.

The SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050 project is a European social platform, with participation of stakeholders from business, research, policy and civil society. Its aim is to develop a vision and concrete pathways for sustainable lifestyles in Europe in 2050. It is funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP).

ECN is an Associate Member of the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD), a UNEP facilitated knowledge network on energy, development, and environment issues. [ECN Press Release] [Publication: Sustainable Lifestyles: Today’s Facts and Tomorrow’s Trends]