Explaining the variation in greenhouse gas emissions between households: physical circumstances or pro-environmental motivation?

Consumption-accounted greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions vary considerably between households. Research originating from different traditions; consumption research, urban planning and environmental psychology, have explored different types of explanatory variables and provided different insights into this matter. This study explores the explanatory value of variables from different fields of research in the same empirical material, including socio-economic variables (income, household size, sex, age), motivational variables (pro-environmental attitudes and social norms) and physical variables (the type of dwelling and the distances to work and public/commercial services). The latter involve the use of geographical data sources. A survey was distributed to 2500 Swedish households with a response rate of 40%. GHG emissions were estimated for transport, residential energy, food and other consumption, using several data-sources from the survey questionnaire and registers such as the odometer readings of cars and electricity consumption from utility providers. The results point toward the importance of explanatory variables that have to do with circumstances rather than motivations for pro-environmental behaviours. Net income was found to be the most important variable to explain GHG emissions, followed by physical parameters dwelling type and an index of distances to work and public/commercial services.