Förutsättningar för hållbar beteendeförändring: En studie om individens möjligheter och hinder till att minska sin negativa klimatpåverkan i dagens högkonsumerande samhälle och globaliserade värld.

Abstract

This study intends to investigate the current conditions for individuals living in a high consumer society like Sweden to actually conduct a more sustainable way of living. By examination of eleven external and internal factors this study aims to create a reality-picture of swedes biggest obstacles and opportunities in reducing their individual negative climate impact. Furthermore this essay intends to discuss which solutions could help overcome today's barriers for individual sustainable change. The research has collected its empirical data from interviews with high income Swedish men, individuals whose demographic factors on one hand enables them and on the other hand complicates the individual behavioral change that reduces the negative climate impact. Together with previous research results of human environmental behavior as well as publications from Swedish authorities and organizations the empirical data tries to find out the present situation for individuals to change unsustainable behavior to more sustainable ones. In a sense, this study tries to understand why we behave as we do when humans obviously need to change the way of unsustainable living before the planet's ecosystems have reached the point of irreversible change. Researchers, politicians and organizations are all on the same page, we need to change before it is too late. But still the change we need to see is nowhere to be found. The result of this paper can show how it is more socially acceptable to sit around and wait for the fundamental change to happen, than to actually do it yourself.