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Sustainable Household Behaviors: Consumption and Mobility

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A topical collection in Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This collection belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

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Prof. Dr. José Alberto Molina

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Department of Economic Analysis, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain and Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), 53113 Bonn, Germany
Interests: household economics; population behaviors; labor markets; urban

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Dear Colleagues,

It is clear that environmental impacts from household activities have grown in recent decades and are expected to intensify in the future. Households, as a group, are not the largest contributor to the most sustainable pressures, but their impact is significant and will almost certainly intensify. In this context, it is essential to better understand household environmental behaviors by analyzing the factors underlying households’ choices. This Special Issue is dedicated to the sustainable day-to day actions of households in two specific areas: consumption and mobility. A better understanding of the determinants of both consumption and mobility decisions will provide useful insights for policy makers. In particular, the Special Issue addresses questions such as i) the effects of sociodemographic, attitudinal, and contextual factors in sustainable household behaviors, with respect to consumption (food, energy, water, waste, etc.) and mobility (public and private commuting, school-to-home transportation, recreational mobility, etc.) and ii) households’ responsiveness to various kinds of environmental policy measures, addressed in these two areas. Thus, two crucial aspects in the debate over sustainable consumption and mobility are the importance of behavioral changes, and the role of government in providing essential infrastructure for the population to engage in more sustainable lifestyles. Most countries have implemented policies to reduce the environmental impacts from household activities, but most of these policies have resulted in only limited changes in behavior, with overall results appearing to be modest. Governments are working to help households to reduce their environmental impacts, with policies that promote sustainable behaviors, by examining the efficacy of different types of policy instruments and by identifying combinations of instruments for promoting more sustainable behaviors. This Special Issue intends, from a multidisciplinary approach, to provide new insights to policy makers for the design of environmental policies in consumption and mobility, with the primary objective being to change individual behaviors.

Prof. José Alberto Molina
Collection Editor

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Keywords

household economics
population behaviors
consumption
mobility

Published Papers (9 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021, 2020

14 pages, 1444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Consumption Decisions of Rural Residents in the Context of Rapid Urbanization: Evidence from Sichuan, China

by Xu Lin and Yanbin Qi

Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16524; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316524 - 04 Dec 2023

Viewed by 903

Abstract

Background: Promoting the transformation and upgrading of China’s rural consumer market is of strategic significance for maintaining sustainable economic development in the process of urbanization. Research objects and methods: Our objectives were to explore the influencing factors of rural residents’ consumption decision making and to provide reference for formulating relevant policies. This study adopted the questionnaire survey method and collected 300 valid questionnaires. Through statistical analysis of questionnaire data and multiple linear regression analysis, the key factors affecting rural residents’ consumption decision making were determined. Results: Education level, family income, consumption view and sociocultural factors are the main factors affecting the consumption decision of rural residents. In addition, personal cognition and attitude are also important factors affecting rural residents’ consumption decisions. In addition, social influence also has a certain positive impact on consumer decisions. Conclusion: The key factors affecting rural residents’ consumption decision making are external factors, including education level and sociocultural factors, and internal factors, namely family income and family consumption concept. At the same time, personal cognition and attitude also play an important role in consumption decisions. The purpose of this study is to provide objective suggestions for improving and expanding the rural consumption market at the policy level, so as to promote the upgrading of rural consumption in China. The influence of rural residents’ consumption decisions on local economic stability was investigated. The economic stability of farmers’ consumption can be understood by analyzing their consumption tendency and consumption pattern. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021, 2020

24 pages, 4256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How COVID-19 Has Influenced the Purchase Patterns of Young Adults in Developed and Developing Economies: Factor Analysis of Shopping Behavior Roots

by Alexander Rossolov, Yevhen Aloshynskyi and Oleksii Lobashov

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 941; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020941 - 14 Jan 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4898

Abstract

The paper presents survey results from shopping behavior transformation in developed and developing countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in spring 2020. The survey includes the polling process that covered 515 and 117 young adults, respectively, for two economies and factor analysis to determine the latent intentions of purchase behavior. Shopping patterns were studied for food, medicine, goods of first priority, electronics, clothing, and shoes. According to factor analysis results, we determined nine factors that reveal some similarities in shopping behavior as pro-safe purchases and belt-tightening patterns for both economies. Along with that, we revealed that people from developed countries perceived the greater danger and fear due to the COVID-19 crisis than young adults from developing economy. Based on polling results, the post–COVID-19 shopping channel choice behavior was evaluated for developed and developing economies. Full article

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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2020

34 pages, 16940 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Assessing Urban Metabolism through MSW Carbon Footprint and Conceptualizing Municipal-Industrial Symbiosis—The Case of Zaragoza City, Spain

by Antonio Valero, Jorge Torrubia, Miguel Ángel Anía and Alicia Torres

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12724; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212724 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2629

Abstract

This paper proposes a holistic vision of the urban metabolism (UM), viewing the city as a subsystem within an industrial ecosystem (IE) in which municipal-industrial symbiosis is essential to achieve sustainability goals. For this purpose, the metabolism of a large Spanish city, Zaragoza, was studied by analyzing the main fractions of its MSW. A methodology based on carbon footprint (CF) was developed to analyze the environmental impact—in terms of CO₂—of the influence of households’ behavior, the City Council’s strategies, and the main MSW fractions. Zaragoza’s IE represents a footprint of 931,250 CO₂ tons for the fractions studied, of which 438,000 CO₂ tons are due to organic fraction, 180,371 to plastics and 154,607 to paper and cardboard, which are the three most significant contributors. If households selectively separated 100% of their waste, the footprint would drop to 648,660 tons of CO₂. Furthermore, monetary savings were quantified through the CO₂ emissions price. The proposed methodology accounts for the CF of the whole IE, not just the city. Moreover, it enables the creation of Sankey diagrams to visualize the distribution of emissions of each subsystem, highlighting the importance of cooperation between the city and its recycling industries to reduce its CF. Full article

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17 pages, 5727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Behavior among Romanian Students: A Perspective on Electricity Consumption in Households

by Vasile Gherheș and Marcela Alina Fărcașiu

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9357; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169357 - 20 Aug 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2281

Abstract

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that the environmental pressure from households will increase significantly by 2030. Sustainable consumption means making consumers aware of the social and environmental impacts of the goods and services they use. In this respect, special attention must be paid to electricity consumption since its generation affects the environment. The present research aims at capturing electricity consumption behaviors among students, after having applied an online questionnaire between March and April 2021, recording 816 responses. The results of this research highlighted the fact that for seven out of fourteen statements, percentages of over 50% for the “always” and “often” answer variants were recorded, but cases when the highest percentages were for the “rarely” and “never” answer variants (e.g., “You read the hours on the light bulb packs before purchasing them”, “You put your mobile phone in the power saving mode so that you don’t have to charge it so often” and “You unplug the electrical and electronic equipment that you do not use”) were also observed. Decrypting consumer behaviors is a key point for building strategies that will lead to consumers’ awareness of conserving electricity in households and, thus, to a reduction in their environmental impact. Full article

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13 pages, 1077 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability, Efficiency, and Competitiveness in Rail Mobility: The ADIF-Spain Case Study

by José Ramón García-Aranda, Raquel Ortega-Lapiedra and Jara Bernués-Olivan

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8977; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168977 - 11 Aug 2021

Viewed by 1483

Abstract

This work aims to propose alternatives to the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) Model from the perspectives of sustainability, efficiency, and competitiveness, with an application to the railway sector in Spain. Concerning improvement factors, a retroactive analysis is based on a second-degree confirmatory factorial analysis, suggesting a new grouping of factors. With respect to the transformation process, a systemic proposal of seven cross-cutting elements (Integral Framework for Transformation into Outstanding Organizations) is presented, providing a sequence of reflection and action initiatives to successfully address the current environmental sustainability, efficiency, and competitiveness challenges in the railway sector through a case study, ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias). The proposal for this Integrated Framework for The Transformation of Organizations is carried out to consolidate the EFQM Model, not only as a management evaluation tool, but also as a quality of management and sustainability instrument, increasing its role as a driving mechanism for actions that generate an effective improvement and transformation in an organization dedicated to mobility. The confirmation of all the hypotheses related to the relationship between Leadership and Strategy, on the one hand explanations., and People, Alliances and Resources, and Processes on the other, along with the four Criteria of Results (People, Clients, Society, and Key Results), allows for the proposal of an EFQM Model that evolves around three major constructs: Guidance, Action, and Feedback. The implications of this work focus on three areas: (1) theoretical, as it is the first analysis of this magnitude to be performed in literature; (2) research, as it opens new hypotheses for contrasting with other organizations in the sector; and (3) management, as it proposes a sustainable organizational and business model. Full article

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15 pages, 2199 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Influence of the Population Density of Cities on Energy Consumption of Their Households

by Pedro J. Zarco-Periñán, Irene M. Zarco-Soto and Fco. Javier Zarco-Soto

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7542; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147542 - 06 Jul 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2499

Abstract

36% of the energy consumed and 40% of emissions are due to buildings in the residential and tertiary sectors. These antecedents have forced governments to focus on saving energy and reducing emissions in this sector. To help government decision-making and facilitate energy planning for utilities, this work analyzes the energy consumption that occurs in city buildings. The information used to carry it out is publicly accessible. The study is carried out from the point of view of the population density of the cities, and these are analyzed individually. Furthermore, the area actually occupied by the city has been considered. The results are studied by inhabitant and household. The proposed method has been applied to the case of Spanish cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. The results show that the higher the population density, the higher the energy consumption. This occurs both per inhabitant and per household. Furthermore, the consumption of electrical energy is inelastic, which is not the case with the consumption of thermal origin. Full article

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2020

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021

12 pages, 282 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Commuting: Results from a Social Approach and International Evidence on Carpooling

by José Alberto Molina, J. Ignacio Giménez-Nadal and Jorge Velilla

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9587; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229587 - 17 Nov 2020

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 7492

Abstract

Sustainable commuting (SC) usually refers to environmentally friendly travel modes, such as public transport (bus, tram, subway, light rail), walking, cycling, and carpooling. The double aim of the paper is to summarize relevant prior results in commuting from a social approach, and to provide new, international empirical evidence on carpooling as a specific mode of sustainable commuting. The literature shows that certain socio-demographic characteristics clearly affect the use of non-motorized alternatives, and compared to driving, well-being is greater for those using active travel or public transport. Additionally, this paper analyzes the behavior of carpooling for commuting, using ordinary least squares (OLS) models, which have been estimated from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) for the following countries: Bulgaria, Canada, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results indicate that carpooling for commuting is not habitual for workers, as less than 25% of the total time from/to work by car is done with others on board. With respect to the role of the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals, our evidence indicates that age, gender, education, being native, and household composition may have a cross-country, consistent relationship with carpooling participation. Given that socializing is the main reason for carpooling, in the current COVID-19 pandemic, carpooling may be decreasing and, consequently, initiatives have been launched to show that carpooling is a necessary way to avoid crowded modes of transport. Thus, the development of high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes by local authorities can increase carpooling, and draw attention to the economic and environmental benefits of carpooling for potential users. Full article

34 pages, 21535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Higher Density Environments and the Critical Role of City Streets as Public Open Spaces

by Liang Wen, Jeffrey Kenworthy and Dora Marinova

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8896; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218896 - 27 Oct 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7107

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between crowding and streets as public open spaces in high-density urban environments from the perspectives of perceived density and human needs, two antecedents to crowdedness. City streets are the places through which various forms of crowding are perceived and experienced. Hence, they can play a role in easing this sense of crowding if corresponding strategies are put in place. The paper argues that practices, such as traffic calming and self-building, can transform the streets to serve as public open space, which increases spaciousness and eases crowding. It also puts forward tactical urbanism as a strategy for city governance to create the right conditions encouraging flourishing civil society initiatives in a dense primary environment that is invigorating and at the same time has a level of crowding perceived as both comfortable and liveable. Full article

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22 pages, 2419 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Migration and Food Consumption: The Impact of Culture and Country of Origin on Obesity as an Indicator of Human Health

by Yuval Arbel, Chaim Fialkoff and Amichai Kerner

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7567; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187567 - 14 Sep 2020

Viewed by 1908

Abstract

Previous research demonstrates that the 1965 American immigration wave has tended to attenuate the obesity pandemic in the United States. Based on a survey carried out by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (ICBS) in 2012 and 2016, we observe the correlation between [...] Read more.

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) is a conventional measure of obesity, where BMI ≥ 25 is considered overweight and BMI ≥ 30 as type I obesity. The results indicate that compared to 11 groups of immigrants, the median BMI among native Israelis is lower. While the prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥ 25) among Hebrew speakers is below 50%, in 11 groups of immigrants, the prevalence of overweight is above 50%. A noteworthy exception is the immigrants from Ethiopia, who exhibit lower overweight prevalence compared to native Israelis and all other population groups. Finally, while male Hebrew and Russian speakers cross the overweight benchmark at the same age (35 years), native Israeli women (Hebrew speakers) cross this benchmark only when they reach 50 years (15 years after the males) and Russian women cross this benchmark only five years after the Russian men. These research findings may be of assistance in public health and culture-oriented medicine. Full article

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Sustainable Household Behaviors: Consumption and Mobility

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Topical Collection Information

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Published Papers (9 papers)

2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021, 2020

2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021, 2020

2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2020

2020

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021

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